5 Reasons Why You Can Make Yourself Happy via Exercise:
1. Exercise enhances overall brain health by reducing risk factors of poor mental health such as inflammation, diabetes and hypertension. And at the same time increases blood flow and the delivery of nutrients and energy.
2. Exercise raises your tolerance for emotional stress, thus regular exercise increases a person's resilience toward other forms of physical and emotional stress. If you have more physical and emotional strength from your consistent exercising, you will be able to adapt better when tough situations occur (Otto & Smits 2011).
3. Exercise boosts self-efficacy which leads to higher self-esteem. High self-efficacy determines well-being, while low self-esteem is associated with mental illness (Clow & Edmunds 2014).
4. Exercise encourages social interactions as it either happens around others in a group class or you invite a friend along for a run/walk. This type of interaction fosters encouragement which boosts ones mood.
5. Exercise (mindful exercise) diverts negative thinking by helping turn ones focus and thoughts away from negative feelings toward the pleasurable experiences like the present moment.