The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Most mornings, I wake up at about 3:45 and turn off my alarm before it goes off at 4 AM. I read the news until 4:05, giving the coffee make enough time to brew at least one cup. I get up, read, have my coffee, and go to the gym by 5. I am a night owl. I hate getting up early. Most nights, when I go to bed, I dread getting up so early in the morning. I also dread exercising so early. I do it first thing in the morning because I have time then (and the gym is usually empty). However, I recently noticed a crazy truth. My schedule has been screwy over the last few weeks, which has messed with my routine. I’ve been inconsistent, which has given me an opportunity to notice a contrast. I never regret getting up early and exercising. I’m typically in a better mood and am more focused/productive at work. However, I usually regret sleeping later and skipping the gym. No matter how much more sleep I get, it’s never quite the same effect as getting up and getting moving.

The reason for this is that we, as humans, are designed to be active. Our bodies and minds are designed, on many levels, to be in motion. Last week, I read a book on mental health and exercise and found that science has recently begun to piece together an explanation for my weird pattern of being happier and more productive. For starters, exercise releases chemicals associated with happiness in our brains. They are similar chemicals to the ones released when people use drugs like cocaine, though exercise releases them in smaller quantities. These hormones make us feel good. In fact, some studies have found that exercising 3 or 4 times a week can be an effective way of dealing with depression and anxiety. It’s not a replacement for prescribed medication or counseling, but it does have an impact. This is why studies have shown that patients dealing with these issues, who take on an exercise program, experience a better rate of recovery than their counterparts who received treatment without engaging in a prescribed exercise regimen. Other studies have linked daily aerobic exercise to a decrease in attention deficit symptoms.

Beyond that, studies have shown that lab rats learn more efficiently when they’re active, than when they are sedentary. The phenomena is linked with a chemical that is released when the rats are forced to escape danger. The impact is that they learn to identify danger and escape routes, thus protecting them in the future. The same chemical is released in human brains when they exercise, and it seems to have the same impact. In one study students who engage in aerobic activity then take a test immediately afterwards, did better than peers who took the test without activity. This principle has been applied in schools through the implementation of before-school programs where students run, cycle, swim, or do some other aerobic activity before starting their school day. The results have been remarkable. Students who are active earlier tend to do better academically than they did before they started the morning fitness regimen. At the other end of the age spectrum, the effects of activity on mental processes can be seen as well. Seniors who are active tend to stave off dementia longer than their more sedentary counterparts. It seems odd at first glance, but human biology is geared toward survival through activity. We were engineered to be smarter when we are active.

There’s a slew of other benefits to our health, but the point is that there’s very little downside to being active and all sorts of benefits. Most of what I hear from folks who want to be more active is that they lack the time or are bad at maintaining the commitment level required. I can relate, this is why I get up early in the morning to exercise. Another way to help improve commitment is through finding a partner to walk with or joining a gym or by building in rewards for yourself when you do things. I meet a group of guys at the gym 3 times a week. I also reward myself with a candy bar if I can fit in an hour on my bicycle. These seem like minimal changes, but often change is about finding things that work for you. The first step is realizing it’s important and making it happen.