I’ve been working out again and it feels so good! I notice a difference in my mind and body, and the change is so palpable that it is a huge part of what sustains my desire to exercise. I think when nearly anyone moves their body and starts working out they feel better, but I’m not sure everyone feels as good as I do. If they did, they would stick with it more and exercise more. If everyone felt the way I do after exercising, everyone would exercise.
It’s like I’ve taken a drug. I think I sincerely get a high from exercise, and I feel lucky because it’s a healthy high. But I think it’s also why I feel so down when I go two weeks without it, so it does have a bit of a double-edged sword.
There has always been talk about a runner’s high and endorphins giving athletes a pick-me-up, but it turns out now there is actual science to back it up. Check out this article from the New York Times. I’d like to see more research because I went for a 35-minute (not two hour as described in the article) run this morning and got back less than two hours ago, and I’m still feeling high as a kite. In my experience, I’ll feel this way until about 11am. There are other days were I don’t get such a high, but I still, overall feel so much better. I would be fascinated to learn if there is a way we can create the high from exercise in our own body and make exercise more pleasing to everyone.
