Mosaic of Minds. Pathway Software. When we start exercising the brain interprets it as a moment of stress. As our heart pressure increases the brain thinks that we are either fighting an enemy or running away from one. To protect itself and the body from stress the brain then releases a protein called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). This BDNF has a protective and correctable component to our memory neurons and it functions as a reset switch. This explains why feelings of relaxation, ease and eventually happiness are experienced after exercising. However BDNF isn’t the only chemical that kicks into action, endorphins are also released into our brain.
“These endorphins tend to minimize the discomfort of exercise, block the feeling of pain and are even associated with a feeling of euphoria.” The brain becomes more active during and after exercise than when we are sedentary or mentally concentrating on something. BDNF and endorphins are the reasons why exercise can make us feel happy. Maximise Happiness About WriteUpp. Communication Therapy Blog. SPG:CSI's Blog | Speech Pathology Group: Children's Services International.
SLP Blog » The Hello Foundation | Gladstone, Oregon. Ok, so before I delve into the question I ask in the title, I want to first give a little intro to this Research Tuesday thing, which is why I'm asking the question and how I found the answer. SO. Research Tuesday is a once-a-month event where SLPs around the world (!) Write blog posts about research that is relevant to them. The posts go up on all of the different blogs on the second Tuesday each month, and then Rachel over at Gray Matter Therapy rounds 'em all up on her blog and does a summary post, like this one for March.
I thought I'd give it a whirl since a) I like to be associated with smart people doing smart things, b) I get a little rush when I say, "Well, the literature tells us . . . ", and c) I can't remember the last time I read a research article all the way through. I took the "recent research in the field that is pertinent to their scope of practice" line seriously and thought about what I'm doing right now that I'd like to know more about.