Quote from an article in IDEA Fitness Journal. The article is "The Skinny on Happiness."
"Exercise is one of the most effective tools we can use to elevate our level of happiness. But when we focus on loosing weight, or moving because we think we have to, we can turn one of nature's best medicines into a bad-tasting pill.
More and more research is proving the mental health benefits of exercise.... One of the best known studies-the SMILE Study (Standard Medical Intervention and Long-Term Exercise), conducted at Duke University (Blumethal et al. 2007)- showed that exercising times a week for 30 minutes each time was as helpful as taking an antidepressant for patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. What's more, those on the drug were 4 times more likely to relapse into depression once the intervention ended compared with those who exercised.
Exercising, however, is not like taking and anti depressant. In fact, according to Tal Ben-Sharar, PHD, author of several books on happiness, including "Even Happier: A Gratitude Journal for Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment (McGraw Hill) it's the other way around: in essence , not exercising is like taking a depressant. We have the need for exercise, and when this need is not fulfilled, we pay a price. We were not made to be inactive, sitting in front of a computer screen all day, or spending our days in meetings. We were made to run after an antelope for lunch, or run away from a lion so that we don't become lunch. We frustrate a physical need when we don't exercise, and when we frustrate a need-whether of vitamins, proteins or exercise-we pay a price."
Exercising, however, is not like taking and anti depressant. In fact, according to Tal Ben-Sharar, PHD, author of several books on happiness, including "Even Happier: A Gratitude Journal for Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment (McGraw Hill) it's the other way around: in essence , not exercising is like taking a depressant. We have the need for exercise, and when this need is not fulfilled, we pay a price. We were not made to be inactive, sitting in front of a computer screen all day, or spending our days in meetings. We were made to run after an antelope for lunch, or run away from a lion so that we don't become lunch. We frustrate a physical need when we don't exercise, and when we frustrate a need-whether of vitamins, proteins or exercise-we pay a price."
