We are in a season of change, literally. As each day grows a bit chillier and shorter, many people feel themselves starting to contend with feelings of how not to become dark and cold too. Add in the daylight savings time which certainly impacts us in many ways and the recent election (this was written before election day), which has added to the emotional build up for so many. However, what is it that keeps people going? HOPE! The good news is, recent scientific discoveries have found we have “hope,” within us!
It may sound far fetched but, it’s true, scientists are now eager to highlight the “hope,” within us, that they are calling “hope molecules.” These molecules are a product the body makes when we add in physical movement, specifically through the action of myokines. Myokines are small proteins released by muscle cells when we exercise and then travel to the brain to promote the formation of new neurons. As you may know, when we do physical activities, our muscles contract and in that, they secrete these beneficial chemicals into the bloodstream. According to Dr. David H. Stensel, a leading researcher in exercise physiology at Loughborough University, “Myokines can influence brain function positively, acting as antidepressants that help mitigate feelings of anxiety and depression.” How cool is that? You may be one workout away from a better mood and better brain function!
While this may sound like one more plea to get you to exercise, you can see it as that, or you can see it as a chance to significantly boost the production of myokines in your body and increase the HOPE within you. Activities such as walking, Spinning®, dancing and strength training can stimulate this hope making process. A study published in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience,
https://www.nature.com, shares that “exercise-induced myokine release is linked to improved mood states and cognitive performance.” This underscores how moving more can create an environment conducive to hope. In addition, exercise in general is proven to welcome people into a deeper sense of accomplishment, self-empowerment and ability to feel more present in their own body and mind. Dr. John Ratey, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said on their website, “Exercise is like taking an antidepressant; it helps you feel better both physically and mentally.” Which makes sense right, if its releasing hope molecules, feel good chemicals, and is proven to make positive impacts on the brain?
We know that people who are more physically active are reporting greater levels of happiness and lower rates of depression. It’s shown on all data reports from the big hitters at the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization down to our more local data at the Vermont Department of health. This should be encouraging news to many that including movement within your life could be a powerful strategy for cultivating hope on a larger scale. By embracing physical activity as a means to produce hope molecules like myokines, we can uplift ourselves and those around us. In doing so, we can enhance our own lives and contribute more positively to our communities and those around us. Hope isn’t an abstract concept, it’s so tangible that scientists are now naming and claiming it and urging us all to seek more of it by just moving. Will you?
Once we have information like this, we then have a choice – do we cast the vote to use it? OR do we make up excuses as to why we can’t invest in our own health, wellbeing and hope? There is no one so busy that their own health, wellbeing and hope shouldn’t be a priority. What is more important than your health? It’s not that people are too busy, it’s that they have decided their health and wellbeing isn’t a priority. When we allow our health and wellbeing to become such a low priority it steals our joy, our ability to live each day with ease and hope… don’t you think it’s time to cast a new vote? Will you cast a ballot for yourself?