What happens to our brains when we exercise and how it makes us happier | The Buffer blog: productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer happiness and business.The Buffer blog: productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer ha. Exercise has been touted to be a cure for nearly everything in life, from depression, to memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and more.
At the same time, similar to the topic of sleep, I found myself having very little specific and scientific knowledge about what exercise really does to our bodies and our brains. “Yes, yes, I know all about it, that’s the thing with the endorphins, that makes you feel good and why we should exercise and stuff, right?” Is what I can hear myself say to someone bringing this up. I would pick up things here and there, yet really digging into the connection of exercise and how it effects us has never been something I’ve done.
Inspired by a recent post from Joel on what makes us happy I’ve set out to uncover the connection between our feeling of happiness and exercising regularly. Share this story with your followers when they’re most likely to click, favorite, and reply! What triggers happiness in our brain when we exercise? 31 Healthy Foods You Should Be Eating Now | 31 Healthy Foods You Should Be Eating, with Recipes. Are you befuddled by what nutrition experts mean by “eating healthy”? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends loading up on fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean meats — sure, that sounds simple, but which fruits and veggies? What kinds of whole grains? And what constitutes a lean meat?
(LIST: Make Over Your Diet in One Week: 7 Days of Healthier Meals) Fear not; eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out these healthy foods and more on our Pinterest page. Next Black Beans. Infographic: Everything You Need to Know About Calories. 8 Bodyweight Exercises for Any Dorm Room. Living spaces and schedules can get pretty cramped these days. But that doesn’t make squeezing a couple exercises between furniture — or roommates! — impossible. Just under three hoursper week of moderate-intensity exercise (the challenge level of a brisk walk) can help reduce heart disease, some cancers, and improve mental health and cognitive function. So in addition to power-walking to and from class, here are eight moves that'll really get you movin' — right in the comfort of your own home.
The Moves 1. Targets: Quads, glutes, calves, shins (anterior tibialis), hip flexors, ups that heart rate How to: This could cause a riff with that cranky neighbor downstairs. 2. Targets: Hamstrings, quads, glutes, calves, shins (tibialis), aaand heart rate How to: Ready to kick things up a notch? 3. Targets: Quads, glutes, calves, shins (anterior tibialis) How to: Again, if you’re on the top floor, you may piss someone off. 4. Targets: Chest, triceps, shoulders, core, lats, adductors, abductors 5. 6. 40 Ways to Relax in 5 Minutes or Less. There are 364 new emails in the inbox, those new pants are covered in scalding coffee, and the next conference call starts in exactly five minutes. In other words, it’s the perfect time to relax. When we’re feeling frazzled, a weekend at a beach resort might be just the thing to calm our nerves. But there isn’t always time for tanning, let alone sleeping, eating, or going to the bathroom.
Luckily we’ve rounded up 40 ways to relax and relieve stress in just five minutes or less. Food and Drink 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Inner Peace 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Total-Body Relaxation 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. New Environment 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Exercise 25. 26. 27. 28. Entertainment and Creativity 29. 30. 31. 32. Smells 33. 34. 35. 36. Socializing and Fun 37. 38. 39. 40. 13 Reasons Tea Is (Healthy and) Awesome: Greatist.com. Put down those saucer cups and get chugging — tea is officially awesome for your health. But before loading up on Red Zinger, make sure that your “tea” is actually tea.
Real tea is derived from a particular plant (Camellia sinensis) and includes only four varieties: green, black, white, and oolong. Anything else (like herbal “tea”) is an infusion of a different plant and isn’t technically tea. But what real tea lacks in variety, it makes up for with some serious health benefits. Researchers attribute tea’s health properties to polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) and phytochemicals. Tea can boost exercise endurance. Though most research on tea is highly positive, it’s not all definitive — so keep these caveats in mind before stocking up on gallons of the stuff: Keep it cool. The takeaway: at the very least, tea should be safe to consume — just not in excessive amounts. Do you drink tea regularly? Greatist is the fastest-growing fitness, health and happiness start-up.