{"id":7211,"date":"2020-02-03T21:39:27","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T21:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eastpthfprod.wpengine.com\/?p=2577"},"modified":"2020-02-03T21:39:27","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T21:39:27","slug":"exercise-reduces-anxiety-and-makes-you-feel-more-connected-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/exercise-reduces-anxiety-and-makes-you-feel-more-connected-heres-how\/","title":{"rendered":"Exercise Reduces Anxiety And Makes You Feel More Connected – Here’s How"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
We all know exercise makes your body healthier and helps you live longer. A growing body of research shows exercise is also linked to a wide range of mood-based and social benefits.

People who are physically active are happier and more\u00a0satisfied with their lives. They have a stronger sense of purpose, feel more gratitude, are more connected to their communities, and are less likely to be lonely or\u00a0anxious.

Why? A big part has to do with how being active affects the brain. Here are five surprising ways exercise is good for your mind.

The exercise \u201chigh\u201d primes you to connect with others<\/strong>
While typically described as a runner\u2019s high, an exercise-induced mood boost is not exclusive to running. Similar good feelings can be found in any sustained physical activity, such as yoga, swimming and dancing.

Scientists long speculated that endorphins are behind the high, but\u00a0research shows\u00a0the high is linked to another class of brain chemicals:\u00a0endocannabinoids\u00a0(the same chemicals mimicked by cannabis) \u2014 what neuroscientists describe as the \u201cdon\u2019t worry, be happy\u201d chemical. Endocannabinoids reduce anxiety and induce a state of contentment. These brain chemicals also increase dopamine in the brain\u2019s reward system, which fuels feelings of optimism.

Exercise can make your brain more sensitive to joy<\/strong>
Exercise provides a low-dose jolt to the brain\u2019s reward centers \u2014 the system that helps you anticipate pleasure, feel motivated and maintain hope. Over time, regular exercise remodels the reward system, leading to higher circulating levels of dopamine and more available dopamine receptors. In this way, exercise can both relieve depression and expand your capacity for joy.

Exercise makes you brave<\/strong>
Courage is another side effect of how physical activity changes the brain. Exercise increases connections among areas of the brain that calm anxiety. Regular physical activity can also modify the default state of the nervous system so that it becomes more balanced and less prone to fight, flight or fright.

Moving with others builds trust and belonging<\/strong>
Moving in the same way, and at the same time, as others\u00a0triggers a release of endorphins. This is why dancers and rowers who move in sync show an increase in pain tolerance. But endorphins don\u2019t just make us feel good; they help us bond, too. People who share an endorphin rush feel closer to one another afterward. It\u2019s a powerful mechanism for forming friendships, even with people we don\u2019t know.

Many aspects of a group exercise experience amplify the bonding effects of synchronized movement. For example, the more you get your heart rate up, the\u00a0closer you feel to the people you move with. Adding music\u00a0enhances the effect. Breathing in unison \u2014 as in a yoga or tai chi class \u2014 can also increase the feeling of collective joy. If you want to experience a state of belonging and self-transcendence, find a place where you can move, breathe and sweat with others.

This article was published in the Washington Post. Read full article here<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We all know exercise makes your body healthier and helps you live longer. A growing body of research shows exercise is also linked to a wide range of mood-based and social benefits. People who are physically active are happier and more\u00a0satisfied with their lives. They have a stronger sense of purpose, feel more gratitude, are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-18 09:43:24","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}