Endorphins

“Exercise is Medicine”

Researchers at Duke University made the news for the New York Times with a study that showed that exercise is better than Zoloft for treating depression. Psychotropics should be used for short-term goals, whereas, for positive long-term mental health outcomes, “natural” techniques are the best option.

Of the different activities that serve to promote the release of hormones naturally, exercise has been a great ally. A study by John Hopkins University found that there are opioid receptors in the brain, which means that the body has a natural way of killing pain with molecules that work like morphine; which is called as "Endorphins".

What we know is that the brain is flexible, that is, it has a tendency to constantly grow and generate new connections, known as “Neuroplasticity”. When some neurotransmitters are released, an alteration occurs in the brain. Exercise creates balance and has a positive relationship with serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. These three neurotransmitters influence mood, attention, perception, motivation, and concentration.

The body perceives exercise as a form of stress, stimulating the release of cortisol. In general, the more fitness improves, the body learns to deal with mental stress. This means that less cortisol will be released in response to emotional or psychological stresses.

When we exercise the duration of these hormones are present between 60-90 minutes in the body. Which means that it is a good idea to organize the time of physical activity before any situation that needs your concentration, attention and motivation a little more.