Ep 075: How Exercise Increases My Energy, Lifts My Mood and Improves My Social Life

Movement and exercise have been shown to have a plethora of benefits but I’ve found it to be incredible for boosting my energy, mood and motivation. Too many people come into my office

saying they once were runners then they stopped because of life, kids, work demands and injuries then their health started to decline and now they do not exercise at all. If they could just run again they know they would get that endorphin hit and feel better but they are too tired to exercise. Why do I see this over and over again? Exercise keeps our stress in check by keeping our heart rate variability high and allowing us to respond better and adapt faster to stressful situations. If we adapt better we will have better moods, more energy and be able to socialize better. Sedentary lifestyles and lack of social connection lower our ability to adapt to stress. In this episode Doc J tells her own story of how she stopped thinking of exercise as a weight loss tool and turned exercise into a daily social event to help her manage stress, maintain her motivation to workout and bo ost her energy all while keeping her heart rate variability in check.

Resources From This Episode:
• Doc J’s Take Away From This Episode: Approach exercise with your 5 year old self in mind – what’s fun, interesting & something that peaks your curiosity? – go try it
If you like a certain type of exercise or movement – find a time that you can go to regularly – you’ll find that we are all creatures of habit and the same core people will go to the same classes/groups at the same times. Don’t rely on current friends to motivate you to workout – find people who are invested in going to certain groups – that will make for a richer experience. Don’t be afraid to try multiple types of group workouts and see what suits you best. And…most importantly – STOP thinking about exercise and movement as a chore, and a way to lose weight. Think of exercise and movement as a social event as after all the most important benefits from exercise and movement are not always in the sweat.
• Exercise Improves Heart Rate Variability In Older Patients with Heart Failure: A Randomized Co

ntrolled Single Blinded Study
• Quantity of Aerobic Exercise Training for the Improvement of Heart Rate Variability in Older Adults
• Moderate Intensity Exercise Improves HRV in Obese Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

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Wondering if you have a low HRV? How well age is related to your HRV status. Want to learn how to stay on top of your HRV as you get older? Click Below Now!