It would be nice to say that those smiles come from the results – fat lost, muscles gained and much more energy – but medical science points to some other factors as well. It appears that regular exercise and a good diet keep the blues away.
A January 2005 article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, explained that adults aged 20 to 45 with mild to moderate depression who participated in 30-minute aerobic exercise sessions three to five times a week reduced their symptoms by almost 50 percent.
Another study compared the effects of exercise, the antidepressant Zoloft, and exercise combined with Zoloft on mood. Researchers found that exercise alone was better at boosting mood than either Zoloft or even Zoloft with exercise. In addition to the release of endorphins and other mood enhancing chemicals, scientists suspect that the feeling of mastery and control over one’s own body is at least partially responsible for these results.
The other half of the equation is good nutrition. According to Lucy Danziger, the Editor-in-Chief of SELF magazine, “Fish that contains omega-3 fatty acids enhances areas of the brain that affect your mood”. Danziger also mentions that eating foods containing B6 and folate can make you feel better – beans, potatoes, spinach and oranges all have the ability to elevate mood.
Regular exercise has been proven to help:
- Reduce stress
- Keep away feelings of anxiety and depression
- Boost self-esteem
- Improve sleep
All of this exercise and good eating sounds an awful lot like BootCamp. Maybe that’s where the phrase “happy campers” really comes from!
