Why Exercising Gives You a Good Feeling

That delightful sense of accomplishment after a workout, eagerly anticipating the next training session, or feeling the growing confidence in your abilities. Most people agree that exercising gives you a nice and positive feeling. But where do these feelings come from?

Let us explain.

Responsible for these feelings are the biochemical processes that occur during and after a workout and the release of the so-called happiness hormones. The most well-known happiness hormones are dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin.

Euphoric Feeling

Just twenty minutes of light jogging is enough to significantly increase dopamine levels. If you engage in high-intensity sports, your brain starts releasing dopamine after just a few minutes.

The release of dopamine makes you more alert, focused, and enhances your concentration. To top it off, the release of dopamine adds to the enjoyment of your workout!

This euphoric feeling is highly motivating. Sometimes, you can't wait for your next training session. The more you train, the more dopamine is released, and the sooner you want to start the next session.

This is all thanks to dopamine. Dopamine is one of the main reasons you feel so good when you're exercising.

Dopamine also ensures that you persist when your body and mind want to give up. It pushes you past that 'dead point' and plays a crucial role in achieving personal records.

After the workout, dopamine levels decrease, while serotonin levels increase. Serotonin is the hormonal counterpart to dopamine and serves various functions. It's involved in regulating the sleep-wake cycle, controlling body temperature, managing appetite, and reducing pain sensitivity.

Happier in the Long Run

The impact of these happiness-inducing hormones doesn't just influence your body and performance during workouts. During physical exertion, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin to specific areas in the brain.

However, when you engage in regular physical activity, dopamine and serotonin are released in many more areas of the brain. This leads to improved concentration and an increasing sense of inner satisfaction.

Short and intense workouts also help reduce the level of the stress hormone cortisol (both in the short and long term). Lowering cortisol levels makes you less sensitive to stress and more resilient to forms of physical and mental stress.

Nevertheless, you need to be cautious. Excessive training can have a counterproductive effect and elevate your cortisol levels. An exhausted body is the result.

Your body perceives overtraining as a form of negative stress, something you definitely want to avoid. Therefore, pay close attention to your body and ensure an adequate amount of rest, especially during the night.

After every workout, you make (if all goes well) a small progress. Each progress contributes to gaining more self-confidence step by step. Increasing self-confidence allows you to achieve top performances.

Without confidence, there are no achievements. That wonderful feeling during and after a workout isn't just a coincidence; it's caused by the happiness hormones released during physical exertion.