Cardio Makes You Happy

Cardio does many wonderful things for your body. It improves the function of your circulatory system and lungs. The risk of developing many serious diseases is greatly reduced when you engage in a workout routine consisting of cardiovascular exercise. The benefits are not purely physical, however. As you improve your body, you are also improving your mental stability. Several hormones are released during exercise, particularly cardio, which reduce stress and produce feelings of well-being.

Endorphins

Endorphins are introduced to your body during exercise because they fight pain and allow you to continue with your workout. Running releases more endorphins than any other form of cardio. Endorphins serve not only to fight pain, but also to increase feelings of euphoria, fight depression, reduce stress, and slow the signs of aging.

Serotonin

Serotonin is the hormone in the body that is responsible for feelings of love. During cardiovascular exercise you blood is flooded with this chemical. Once it reaches the brain, it works to boost your mood and fight depression. It also helps to regulate your sleep, memory, and appetite.

Dopamine

Dopamine is an integral part of the brain’s reward system. Your body releases it in hopes that you will want to exercise again. It is the chemical that makes you want to eat, be around friends, and is also responsible for addiction, which is why exercise is useful for recovering addicts. Feelings of pleasure and well-being are associated with dopamine. Cardio not only increases the amount of this chemical in your blood, but also the amount of receptors for it in your brain.
If the long-term benefits of possibly protecting yourself from health damage many years down the line don’t help to motivate you, perhaps the knowledge of a short-term increase in happiness will. In any case, it’s clear that cardiovascular exercise has several benefits which will drastically improve your quality of life.