The quick exercise trick that boosts your mood

New research shows that there is a simple exercise trick that both boosts your mood and makes you feel more well-being.
The trick can also have positive effects on the brain when it comes to managing stress.

Right now, it may feel extra tedious to go out for a run. But the fact is that you don’t need to exercise for very long to achieve positive effects.

A new study published in the journal Nature shows that you only need to run moderately for ten minutes to feel better, reports Stylist.

The researchers asked participants to run on a treadmill for ten minutes and only use half of their maximum capacity, which corresponds to a fairly moderate intensity. They then found a significant increase in the participants’ well-being and increased activity in the frontal lobe of the brain—an area associated with mood regulation and stress management, according to the news site. 

“Exercise that benefits your mood”

Although the study only involved 26 participants, it gives researchers an indication of how exercise improves our mood beyond simply releasing endorphins. It is one of the first studies to consider how much, or how little, we humans need to achieve this positive effect of running. 

The message from the study is that we don’t need to go on long runs or do hard workouts in the winter cold to boost our mood. A ten-minute run at a moderate pace is simply enough. 

“Running can be considered a form of exercise that benefits mood, which is an important factor in sticking with the exercise,” the researchers note, according to Stylist. 

In other words, a better mood in the short term will yield better results in the long term.