Move Your Body to Improve Both Mood and Brain Health

You have one less excuse not to get some exercise.

It's Tough Love Thursday again, and this one falls on World Mental Health Day. So let's talk about a common excuse not to move your body -- you're not in the mood or feeling low. Guess what? Turns out that's exactly the time you ought to get moving, and that excuse of yours? Let's call BS right now.

If you want to improve your mood and brain health both immediately and long-term, getting even a short burst of exercise like a 10-minute walk is going to do so much more for you than doom-scrolling, binge-watching, or doing your best couch potato impression. That's not just rah-rah sports-centric talk. That's neuroscience.

It doesn't just physically feel good to shake off the bodily cobwebs that desk-life can give you. In fact, regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve brain health and neuroplasticity, in addition to mood. Exercise has such a powerful effect on mental health because it directly influences neurotransmitters in the brain.

When you work out, your body releases endorphins, your "feel-good" brain chemicals, which help reduce pain and lift your mood.

Exercise also boosts serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood, sleep, and appetite—all things that are key to managing anxiety and reducing depression.

On top of that, exercise increases dopamine levels, which improves motivation and focus.

It also raises norepinephrine, which helps you stay sharp and handle stress better.

So, by getting regular physical activity, you're not only improving your physical health and developing stronger balance in your life. You're also boosting your brain’s ability to stay calm, focused, and resilient to stress.

The science shows you will actually become better able to execute at your best, both during your daily routine and also during high-stress moments. This is true both now, and in terms of increasing longevity and retaining brain vitality as you age.

Need more evidence? Though there is a wealth of research and information on this strong link between exercise and brain health, Dr. Wendy Suzuki, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at New York University, is one pre-eminent researcher who'd be great to Google. She's an amazing researcher and educator who has dedicated her career to the topic of the impact of exercise on improving brain health.

So, on this World Mental Health Day, I wish all of you the fierce self-compassion (or at least, the science-backed self-interest) to put the rest of the world on a brief pause and move your body for at least 10 minutes. And then repeat that tomorrow, and the next day, and so on.

Give yourself the Green Light to experience the wonderful flood of mood-boosting neurochemicals that comes with regular exercise. Coach says: Get. After. It!