Exercise Makes You Less Anxious

Princeton University researchers have made very interesting and remarkable discoveries regarding exercise and the reduction of anxiety and stress. The studies were done with rats who exercised, and slothful rats. They found the neurons in the brains reacted differently to stress in both samples. Although we have known for some time that exercise itself creates new brain cells, we have not known how these cells function differently than those already in the brain. Anxiety and stress have the opposite effect: they actually kill off cells, including those in our brains.
Here’s how the experiment ran: sample one of rats were allowed to run, or exercise. Sample two remained slothful. Then all rats were made to swim in cold water, creating a stressful event for them. Upon immediate examination of the rats’ brains, all of the brains and most of the brain cells were activated by specific genes in response to stress, but not the new cells which were created by running. These cells seemed to be calm, both biochemically and molecularly.
We have known for years that exercise improves mood, but now we know that by exercising we are continually remolding or reshaping the brain, and making it more resistant to stress and anxiety. In fact, moderate exercise makes not only our bodies more healthy, but also our brains. Not in a day, of course, but something magical takes place between three and six weeks, where the brain is restructured to adapt well to other stressors, and it translates over to anxiety provocations. So, start your exercise program today for a healthier you!
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