Living Well Emotionally by Montel Williams

Author:Montel Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

What I know is that when I exercise it gives me a feeling of energy and interest, and my motivation and vigor go up. Every morning, the first thing in the morning, I stop at the gym.

One advantage exercise has over antidepressants is the feeling of self-efficacy. You are getting out there and pushing yourself. You are the agent of change, not a pill. It’s a very positive feeling.

Exercise has such a big effect on the brain. It can help depression, stress, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, and mood regulation. Recent studies looked at students in inner-city schools who were moved from once-a-week exercise to daily exercise of thirty to forty-five minutes. The results were very compelling. The first effect was a drop in aggression and anger. Within just three months there was a 50 percent drop in disciplinary referrals and an even higher drop in days of suspension. There were also improvements in focus, attention, and motivation.

It’s a crime that our culture has become so sedentary. Many of the diseases we have today could be reduced by an active lifestyle: cardiac problems, diabetes and arthritis, certain kinds of cancer. Take Alzheimer’s, for example. With an active lifestyle you can reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s by 50 percent.

If you’re sedentary, just start moving and walking. Make it a part of your life. Get a pedometer and a cardiac monitor to determine what your fitness zones are. The more you walk, the better you’ll feel. You should be walking at least forty minutes, six days a week. Some of those days, you should really push it by either walking uphill or extra briskly. Get to the point where you’re increasing the challenges you take on.

Set aside some time every day, or almost every day, for exercise. Make a commitment with a friend to help each other. Get outside and exercise in nature, fresh air, and sunshine.

Weight training should be a part of everybody’s routine. Everybody over forty should also do strength training and some balance work.

How does exercise promote happiness?

We believe it elevates neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and also promotes neuroplasticity of the brain, which helps the brain change and adapt. Depression may be in part a shutdown of neuroplasticity. Improved neuroplasticity in your brain may help reverse “learned helplessness,” or feelings like “there’s nothing out there for me, so why bother.” Part of happiness is feeling that the world is full of possibilities. With exercise, you get a snap-back and reemergence of neuroplasticity. Exercise does this as effectively as anything we know.

Exercise also promotes two more antidepressant factors in your body. The first is called BDNF-1, or what I call “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” It is involved in mood, in learning, in feeling optimistic. The second factor is endocannabanoids, which I call our body and brain’s “internal marijuana,” or THC, which promotes feelings of well-being. Exercise really jumps them up.

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