exercise against depression


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Exercise has a positive effect over the brain. A couple of years ago, scientists at the Duke University, USA discovered that exercise is a useful antidepressant. Another research proved that exercise can increase the function of the brain in the older persons, even has a protective role against dementia. One assumption regarding the benefits is that doing exercise helps to secrete the ‘feel good’ hormone Endorphin from the brain. Endorphin is a hormone chemically similar to natural analgesic Morphine. Role of Endorphin to improve that mood state is being studied. It is known that Endorphin does not cross the blood brain barrier. So, the inference is taken that Endorphin must work at the level of Brain stem (The Pons and Medulla Oblongata) or in the Spinal cord. That concludes that some other mechanism is responsible for the effect of exercise over mental health. Recent experiments have discovered that exercise increases the activity in the frontal lobe and the Hippocampus area. Frontal lobe is responsible for controlling the emotion besides initiation of the activities. In vivo studies over the animals have proved that exercise increases the level of dopamine, noradrenalin and serotonin. These hormones act as neurotransmitters in the brain and are connected to elevation of mood and it is known that some of the antidepressant medicines work by triggering these hormones. Exercise also increases the blood level of ‘Brain Derived Nurotrophic factor (BDNF)’. BDNF has the potentiality to improve the level of mood. Its most important role seems to keep the brain cells stay alive for longer duration. This may also clarify some of the advantageous effects of exercise on improving mental health and dementia. The end result of our discussion is that it is not the exercise, which causes release of endorphin that helps to improve the level of mental health only. There are other effects over dopamine, noradrenalin and serotonin. Bottom line is physical exercise is excellent for improving the level of mental health and also for our brain. In course of time, we will learn the detail. But for today, let us start doing some exercise at once.
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. Home . Exercise and Stress Relief . How to Reduce Stress . Exercise and the Mind . Mental Health . Email Us

Exercise has a positive effect over the brain. A couple of years ago, scientists at the Duke University, USA discovered that exercise is a useful antidepressant. Another research proved that exercise can increase the function of the brain in the older persons, even has a protective role against dementia.

One assumption regarding the benefits is that doing exercise helps to secrete the ‘feel good’ hormone Endorphin from the brain. Endorphin is a hormone chemically similar to natural analgesic Morphine. Role of Endorphin to improve that mood state is being studied. It is known that Endorphin does not cross the blood brain barrier. So, the inference is taken that Endorphin must work at the level of Brain stem (The Pons and Medulla Oblongata) or in the Spinal cord. That concludes that some other mechanism is responsible for the effect of exercise over mental health.

Recent experiments have discovered that exercise increases the activity in the frontal lobe and the Hippocampus area. Frontal lobe is responsible for controlling the emotion besides initiation of the activities. In vivo studies over the animals have proved that exercise increases the level of dopamine, noradrenalin and serotonin. These hormones act as neurotransmitters in the brain and are connected to elevation of mood and it is known that some of the antidepressant medicines work by triggering these hormones.

Exercise also increases the blood level of ‘Brain Derived Nurotrophic factor (BDNF)’. BDNF has the potentiality to improve the level of mood. Its most important role seems to keep the brain cells stay alive for longer duration. This may also clarify some of the advantageous effects of exercise on improving mental health and dementia.

The end result of our discussion is that it is not the exercise, which causes release of endorphin that helps to improve the level of mental health only. There are other effects over dopamine, noradrenalin and serotonin. Bottom line is physical exercise is excellent for improving the level of mental health and also for our brain. In course of time, we will learn the detail. But for today, let us start doing some exercise at once.

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