Aerobic exercises, including:
- Jogging
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Walking
- Gardening
- Dancing
have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression.
These improvements in mood are proposed to be caused by exercise induced increase in blood circulation to the brain and by an influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and, thus, on the physiologic reactivity to stress.
This physiologic influence is probably mediated by the communication of the HPA axis with several regions of the brain, including the limbic system, which controls motivation and mood; the amygdala, which generates fear in response to stress; and the hippocampus, which plays an important part in memory formation as well as in mood and motivation.
If you are someone who hasn’t been exercising regularly and would like to get back on track, “Couch to 5K” is a good way to start building stamina for jogging…
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