Cortisol and Endorphins

Exercise can give you joy? Working out can make you happy? Yes, experts in the fields of fitness, psychiatry, and psychology say there is ample evidence supporting the idea that exercise and physical stimulation cause happiness.

Let’s talk about Cortisol and Endorphins …

The human body is an amazing machine, and it actually rushes to its own rescue when it recognizes the physical stress that comes from exercise.

Cortisol is a hormone your body produces when it recognizes stress in any form. Anger, fear, and anxiety can also produce cortisol in your body. Unfortunately, cortisol buildup causes inflammation and can damage your organs. Exercise uses cortisol as an effective fuel, burning it much faster than it can be replaced.

And no doubt you have heard of the morphine-like endorphins that are released when you strenuously exert yourself. When you take a walk, go for a run, dance, lift weights, practice yoga, or Pilates, these hormone molecules called endorphins act on your brain’s neurons, blocking receptors that send pain signals to other areas of your brain.

And on top of that, some researchers have said that endorphins are more naturally and powerfully able to create feelings of happiness and joy than harmful drugs like opium and morphine.