Exercises and its effects; Mental Fitness

Physical activity has been known to do everything from treat depression to improve memory, with the power to cure a host of problems while preventing even more. In particular, exercise leads to the release of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that alleviate pain, both physical and mental. Additionally, it is one of the few ways scientists have found to generate new neurons. Most of the research has been focused on running, but all types of aerobic exercise provide benefits.  Exercise exerts its effects on the brain through several mechanisms, including neurogenesis, mood enhancement, and endorphin release.   It has been shown that physically active people recover from mild depression more quickly, and physical activity is strongly correlated with good mental health as people age. Depression is related to low levels of certain neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine (reference). Exercise increases concentrations of these neurotransmitters by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system.

Another factor to consider is endorphins, the chemicals released by the pituitary gland in response to stress or pain. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins within approximately 30 minutes from the start of activity. These endorphins tend to minimize the discomfort of exercise and are even associated with a feeling of euphoria.  The release of endorphins has an addictive effect, and more exercise is needed to achieve the same level of euphoria over time. In fact, endorphins attach to the same neuron receptors as opiates such as morphine and heroin. Yet, exercise is not nearly as addictive as these opiates; it’s not even as addictive as milder substances such as nicotine. It seems strange that an activity as beneficial as exercise, with a built-in mechanism for addiction, is so easy to give up.  According to some polls, only about 15% of Americans say they exercise regularly.

The key to this seeming contradiction may lie in the delayed gratification experienced during exercise. Exercise differs from other addictions in that there is an initial amount of pain to endure before the euphoric payoff. The approximate 30-minute delay in the release of endorphins requires a certain level of fortitude that has not been cultivated by the American culture of video games, 30-second commercials, and various timesaving devices. In addition, exercising is made up of several tasks like putting on correct clothing, deciding on a form of exercise, maintaining adequate hydration, etc. Though each task may be mundane enough to form a habit, putting all the tasks together requires too much attention for exercise to be experienced entirely as a habit, which associates the reward or pleasure of completing a particular task with the first step of that task.

While exercise is attractive in theory, it can often be rather painful in actuality, and the discomfort of exercise is more immediately felt than its benefits. The delayed release of endorphins creates a lapse between the pain and the pleasure elements of physical activity. This is where KAOS training program comes in.  Tim and Dr. Della Bruna  have been working closely on finding ways to make the benefits of exercise more apparent while the exercise is actually occurring, thus satisfying the need for instant gratification and tipping the scales in favor of exercise.  So stand by for me…KAOS is going to change the way people excercise.