When God created man, He sent them out to work in the garden. He didn’t tell them to sit down at the computer and play Farmville on Facebook.
We were created in His image.
He created the intricately detailed system of nerves, glands, neurons, and neurotransmitters in our brain that controls our emotions.
All that He created was good.
But our world has changed.
As I mentioned in a recent post on the benefits of being outdoors, (click here to read: “Do you have nature deficit disorder?”) our world has become more and more industrialized, and our jobs don’t consist of the hard labor they once did.
Our bodies were made to move. Our brains crave movement to keep everything up there in balance. Exercise must be a priority in our lives to keep the chemicals in our brain working properly.
Here comes the “sciency” part:
Remember that cortisol is the “fight or flight” hormone? It’s the one released when we are in any type of stressful situation, emotional or physical. When we exercise, we put our bodies under stress, and cortisol is released.
But wait, cortisol is bad isn’t it?
Cortisol is necessary for those emergency situations when we must react quickly–the “fight or flight” situations. But we don’t want cortisol hanging around all the time. Exercise is always difficult when we start. We put our bodies under stress that we aren’t used to and our body reacts by releasing cortisol. As we increase the intensity and duration of exercise, our endurance gets better and our bodies don’t perceive stress nearly as quickly, so not as much cortisol will be released. The more we increase our endurance, the better our bodies respond to stress. And when cortisol is low, serotonin–our happy hormone–is high.
As an added bonus, when we exercise, endorphins are released into our brains. The word “endorphin” comes from “endogenous + morphine.” Endorphins have always been known as the “feel good” substance in our brains. Here is an excerpt from an article on endorphins that explains them well:
“Although more research needs to be done, endorphins are believed to produce four key effects on the bodymind: they enhance the immune system, they relieve pain, they reduce stress, and postpone the aging process. Scientists also have found that beta-endorphins can activate human NK (Natural Killer) cells and boost the immune system against diseases and kill cancer cells. In contrast to short-intensity workouts like sprinting or weightlifting, prolonged, continuous exercise like running, long-distance swimming, aerobics, cycling or cross-country skiing appears to contribute to an increased production and release of endorphins. This results in a sense of euphoria that has been popularly labeled the “runner’s high.” (To view the article in it’s entirety, click here: “What are Endorphins?”)*
I’ve included a chart here that I found on the University of California Santa Cruz website on how cortisol and endorphins play a part in managing stress that explains it well if you’re interested: Managing Stress
I know it’s all very complex and confusing to us, but not to God. He made us in His image…perfection. Whether you care about the “sciency” stuff or not, I know you care about how you feel. We need to live the best lives we can with what God gave us. I started running a few months ago myself, and I’m up to three miles. I promise you if I can do it, you can too!
So get moving!
So get moving!
From my heart,
Celeste
*www.roadtohealth.com by Bonnie O’Sullivan and Dale Maxwell “What are Endorphins?”
