Latest news with #endorphins
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How to Start Working Out in the Morning—Even If You're Not a Morning Person
Just as the best type of exercise is the one that you actually enjoy doing, ultimately, the best time to exercise—whether that's afternoon, evening, or morning—is whenever works best with your schedule and lifestyle. Because let's be honest, figuring out how to start working out is hard enough without having to rework your entire routine. That said, if you've been wondering if there's one time of day that's best for exercising, there are some undeniable pros of working out in the morning. Surveys show that you're more likely to stick with a morning workout or exercise program than one later in the day, when you'll likely be distracted by other responsibilities or have time to come up with excuses to skip your fitness session. Research has also found that exercise can help improve mood and sense of well-being by increasing feel-good neurotransmitters like endorphins, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Physical activity also been shown to boost cognitive functioning like memory, attention, concentration, and learning. Needless to say, a sweat session is a great way to begin each day, especially before work or school when you want to be in top mental form. Morning workouts can also help you beat the heat of summer. And if you're participating in any type of fitness event, start times are almost always in the morning. If you want to compete at your optimal level, it's wise to get used to morning workouts. So how do you start working out in the morning without dreading it? Experts have their favorite tips for turning the morning into your preferred time of day to move. Read up and get ready to set your alarm for a few hours earlier than usual. This should be a no-brainer, but if you don't log the sleep you need, you're not going to feel like getting up in the morning, let alone tackling a morning workout. While you should shoot for seven to eight hours of sleep every night, making the switch overnight isn't easy. That's why Jonathan Jordan, a NASM certified personal trainer personal trainer and nutrition coach in San Francisco, tells his clients to add just 30 minutes at a time to their bedtime routine. So if you're usually in bed around 11 p.m., start making a conscious effort to get in bed at 10:30. "Even if you lie quietly in bed and do a little deep breathing or meditation until you fall asleep, it can help," he says. It's not just the amount of sleep you get that matters—sleep quality is important too. One rule Jordan employs with his clients: Adopt a 30- to 60-minute device blackout period before bed. During this time, abandon your use of phones, computers, and light-emitting devices. "Clients who do this [tend to] sleep better, have more energy, and report less stress, better diet, and even better digestion," he says. Also helpful for ensuring deep, uninterrupted sleep is to make your sleep environment as cool, dark, and quiet as possible. Temperature, ambient light, and ambient noise are all environmental factors that can disrupt a sound night's sleep—but that you do have some control over. How appealing does it sound to wake up (at least) an hour earlier just to work hard? Probably not much. So start small. Could you wake up 15 minutes earlier and squeeze in a quick workout (like this 15-minute stairs workout) or a round of full-body stretches? Probably. Get used to doing this for a week or two before moving your wake-up time up another 15 minutes. Repeat until you're up with enough time to log the exercise you want. Progressing slowly will help you adapt to that earlier wake-up call, says Jennie Gall, former owner of Relevé Pilates Studio in Ripon, Calif. Set out your workout clothes, sneakers, gym bag, and whatever else you need for your morning workout the night before. This is the best way to give your future self a helping hand, save some time in the morning, and avoid forgetting anything—especially if you're a little foggy when you wake up. Leaving your alarm clock next to your bed makes it all too easy to hit the snooze button. But if you place it across the room, you'll be forced to get up to turn it off. The extra benefit of doing this if your smartphone is your alarm is that keeps you far away from your phone all night. You'll sleep better. Permission granted to sip that cup of coffee or tea before exercising. Keep your serving to one 8-ounce cup and avoid tons of add-ins like cane sugar and artificial sweeteners. "In moderation, caffeine is widely recognized and safe for sipping pre-workout," Jordan says. In fact, research even suggests that caffeine can aid fitness performance. Read the original article on Real Simple
CNET
26-06-2025
- Health
- CNET
Hack Your Happiness Hormones: How to Boost Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphines and Oxytocin
When was the last time you were truly happy? If you're yearning for happiness, the good news is that your body produces four main hormones that affect your mood. Dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin play a huge role in regulating your emotions. When you experience irregular hormone levels, it can lead to sadness and depression. To explain exactly how these "happiness" chemicals work, I spoke to Loretta Breuning, founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and author of Habits of a Happy Brain. Below are ways to boost your happiness chemicals naturally and become a better you. Read More: 8 Happiness-Boosting Foods You Should Be Eating in 2025 Happy chemicals: The secret to a happy brain Almost everything that makes you feel "happy" is linked to one of the four happiness hormones: dopamine, serotonin, endorphin and oxytocin. Here are some ways you can boost them naturally. Dopamine The hormone dopamine is associated with motivation and reward. It's why you feel gumption when you set an exciting or important goal and why it feels good to reach that goal. On the flip side, if you have low dopamine (which experts say can occur with depression), it can explain feelings of low motivation or loss of interest in something you used to enjoy. Committing to a hobby or sport can boost your dopamine. Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision/Getty Images "Approaching a reward triggers dopamine. When a lion approaches a gazelle, her dopamine surges and the energy she needs for the hunt is released. Your ancestors released dopamine when they found a water hole," Breuning says. "The expectation of a reward triggers a good feeling in the mammal brain, and releases the energy you need to reach the reward." How to boost dopamine Some not-so-healthy habits like drinking caffeine, eating sugar or taking certain recreational drugs increase dopamine. You can find ways to kick this hormone up without turning to potentially unhealthy or addictive substances. "Embrace a new goal and take small steps toward it every day. Your brain will reward you with dopamine each time you take a step. The repetition will build a new dopamine pathway until it's big enough to compete with the dopamine habit that you're better off without," Breuning says. You may already have goals set around your career, work or how much money you'd like to make. Don't forget personal goals. Committing to a rewarding hobby or sport can be just as gratifying as professional goals. Don't just set a few big goals that will take longer to complete. Adopt shorter-term goals so you stay motivated too. "Set a short-run, long-run and middle-term goal so you will always be approaching one when another is blocked. Focus on things you have control over and don't wait for others to set your goals for you," Breuning says. Serotonin Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood but it also helps regulate other functions in your body like digestion, sleep and bone health. With happiness and how you feel every day, serotonin is important for reducing depression and regulating anxiety. How to boost serotonin "Confidence triggers serotonin. Monkeys try to one-up each other because it stimulates their serotonin. People often do the same," Breuning says. You've probably never thought about confidence on a neurochemical level but according to Breuning, if you don't prioritize confidence, your serotonin levels could take a hit. If you are trapped in a cycle of low self-esteem or have had others undermine your confidence, it can be hard to build it back up. It may sound strange, but don't ignore your need for respect and status. "You can develop your belief in your own worth. If you focus on your losses you will depress your serotonin, even if you're a rock star or a CEO. You can build the habit of focusing on your wins. Your serotonin will suffer if you don't," Breuning says. Besides focusing on what you've achieved in life, you can also build confidence in other ways. One way to do this is by working out or adopting a new exercise routine, which helps bolster your confidence when you stick to it over time. Something else you can try is finding ways to get out of your comfort zone each day. Every day that you challenge yourself to adapt to something new, even if it feels uncomfortable at first, you build more confidence. Oxytocin Oxytocin is sometimes called the "love" hormone and is associated with how people bond and trust each other. Certain activities like kissing, hugging and having sex can trigger the release of oxytocin in the brain. It explains why you feel happy when you pet or cuddle with your pets. It's important in childbirth because oxytocin helps the mother's uterus contract to deliver the baby and plays a role in breastfeeding, too. It also helps parents bond with a baby after birth. Playing or cuddling with a pet can give you a big oxytocin to boost oxytocin You can boost oxytocin by being physically intimate with others. Besides the physical aspect, it's important to know that there's an emotional connection to how oxytocin is released. "Social trust is what triggers oxytocin. If you hug someone you don't trust, it doesn't feel good. Trust comes first. You can build social trust by taking small positive steps toward people," Breuning says. You can reach out to a friend or contact you'd like to get to know better. Send someone a thank you note or a card just to tell them you're thinking about them. "Take a small step toward someone each day, and they may reciprocate months later, but if you keep doing it you will build trust networks," Breuning says. Endorphins Endorphins are notoriously linked with exercise: It's the phenomenon that explains the runner's high or post-workout endorphin "rush." They function as "natural painkillers" that help minimize pain and maximize pleasure. This chemical experience can explain why a runner may be able to push through a race with an injury that they don't notice until it's over. "In the state of nature, it helps an injured animal escape from a predator. It helped our ancestors run for help when injured. Endorphins evolved for survival, not for partying. If you were high on endorphins all the time, you would touch hot stoves and walk on broken legs," Breuning explains. Laughter is one great way to naturally produce more to boost endorphins Laughter is one way to boost endorphins naturally. So is eating dark chocolate, watching your favorite drama on Netflix, working out and meditating. Endorphins are released in response to pain, but that doesn't mean you should seek out ways to cause yourself harm (like by overexercising or pushing yourself beyond your limits) just to feel good. "Inflicting harm on yourself to stimulate endorphins is a bad survival strategy. Fortunately, there are better ways: laughing and stretching. Both of these jiggle your innards in irregular ways, causing moderate wear and tear and moderate endorphin flow," she says.
News.com.au
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘I'd rather stay in bed': Bondi run club footage gets unexpected response
There's a video circulating of hundreds of Aussies running together and it isn't a stampede, it is something much scarier: a running club with a zest for life, and not everyone's loving the healthy sight. The footage was posted on Instagram by The Sydney Run Club, a group that meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. The club believes that 'running is more than just exercise - it's a community, a passion, and a journey of self-discovery'. 'A normal Friday morning In Bondi at 5am,' the caption read. The footage is quite the promotion for endorphins. Everyone's smiling and looking happy, one man is even out there jogging with a pram. The beach looks beautiful in the background, people are wearing colourful activewear and one runner even threw her hands up in the air, seemingly out of pure joy. The happy group had taken over the footpath with their exercising and enthusiasm and yet … the footage didn't spark joy for everyone. Not all Aussies could stomach the running group's zest for life or clearly didn't understand that running is about a journey of 'self-discovery' and were actively repulsed by it all. 'I'd rather stay in bed,' one announced. 'This is so positive and amazing. Why do I hate all of you?' another asked. Someone else who isn't running at the crack of dawn started to reminisce about how Bondi used to be filled with 'drunk people' watching the sunrise at 5am and inferred they'd rather be seeing that than people exercising. 'Gross. I'd rather go to Maroubra for some peace and quiet,' one complained. Another fed-up Aussie said the footage was 'annoying', one claimed 'it makes me want to vomit', and someone else declared the happy scenario was their 'worst nightmare'. A couple of Aussies couldn't just accept the idea people were running because they like running and suggested the reason the young people were up and about was related to the cost of living crisis. 'Pretty sure runs clubs are becoming so popular because young people can't afford to do anything else,' they claimed. However, the reaction to the clip wasn't solely negative and there were others who found the activewear syndicate far more appealing. 'Love Australians for this,' one remarked. 'Brilliant! Love this vibrant young energy,' someone else complimented. 'Love this. This is what life is about,' one philosophised. 'The positive vibes flowing strong here. Awesome stuff,' one added.
