Exercise replenishes the neurotransmitters vital to mental health

Neurotransmitters – such dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin - are released by neurons to communicate with other cells. They regulate our mental and physical health. Depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders occur when neurotransmitters are depleted. In one study, researchers used MRI scans to measure the impact that vigorous exercise had on certain depleted neurotransmitters. The results showed that exercise activates the metabolic pathway that replenishes these neurotransmitters.1"

A quote from the study:

“Vigorous exercise is the most demanding activity the brain encounters, much more intense than calculus or chess, but nobody knows what happens with all that energy, Apparently, one of the things it's doing is making more neurotransmitters…Exercise could become an important part of treating depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders linked with deficiencies in neurotransmitters.”

While the researchers point out that vigorous exercise will not work for every depressed person, it will work for many.

To start and stick to a vigorous exercise program it helps to set the bar at a height you are willing to jump over each week. Commit to one 30-minute strength training session a week. Each week lift a little bit more weight, lift a little longer on each exercise, and take a little less time between exercises.   You will see improvement each week - a motivating factor to encourage you to stick with it. At our Austin Strength Training facility we track these weekly improvements.  

Over time, you will find that your energy levels rise and aches and pains subside. You’ll then be more likely to engage in other physical activities.  Months from now you can be a lot stronger, physically and mentally.  Being stronger, living pain-free, and having more energy is a step in the right direction – an upward, happier direction.  

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Cardio, anaerobic, and aerobic exercise explained

In 1969 Dr. Kenneth Cooper wrote the book Aerobics and coined that word to describe a form of exercise. Before that, the word aerobic was more often used to describe a type of metabolism. Aerobic metabolism utilizes our energy stores in conjunction with oxygen, while anaerobic metabolism uses energy stores without oxygen.

Both metabolic pathways are working all the time. The aerobic pathway is predominant at rest or at lower intensity activities such as the beginning of a run or picking flowers. The anaerobic pathway predominates while doing demanding activities such as sprints or strength training and is crucial for survival in fight-or-flight situations.

Cardio exercise is exercise that maintains an elevated heart rate at a range of 60% to 85% of one’s maximum heart rate. Can strength training have a significant cardiovascular component? It can; it depends on how your workout is structured. Warm-up sets do not present great demands on the cardiovascular system or the muscles for that matter. Intermediate intensity sets, time resting between sets, and set up time for the next exercise will not be taxing to the cardiovascular system. In the course of an hour long workout there will be a significant amount of time where cardiovascular demands on the body are minimal.

The High Intensity Training (HIT) for strength we do at our Austin Strength Training facility involves a large cardiovascular component. At the end of the first exercise your body will be doing all that it can to accommodate the demands placed on the cardiovascular system – the heart rate increases, arteries dilate, venous return increases, and blood volume per beat of the heart increases.

That first exercise is followed with a series of strength training exercises addressing all the major muscle groups. People of any age can do this workout. You build up to this workout slowly. Each week you lift a little more or a little longer and take a little less time between exercises. With the facilitation of a personal trainer the workout takes less than 30 minutes; it really can’t be longer unless you pace yourself, i.e. exercise at a lower intensity.

The chart of 64 year old man. The average heart rate of 74% is well within the cardio range.

While the cardiovascular demands are high, [See chart] the long list of cardiorespiratory benefits makes it worth the effort. Best of all anaerobic exercise produces endorphins1. Just like a runner’s high, when the workout is over you’ll experience the deeply relaxed state that results when your body produces endorphins.  It is a great state to be in and one you will look forward to attaining each week.

Request a complimentary first session at Kelly Personal Training

 Click here to schedule a session to try it yourself

Complimentary first workout

*Before you stop by please call us. We operate by appointment.

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1553453