There is one simple secret to making your entire day better, and all it requires is 20 minutes of your time. A study from the University of Georgia found that when sedentary adults began doing 20 minutes of low to moderate aerobic exercise three times a week, they felt more energized.
Researchers had participants do the exercises for six weeks, finding that time of day didn't matter. In fact, they said even just a few minutes of exercise can enhance your mood.
However, another study from the University of Vermont took a different approach. They found that moderate intensity of aerobic training that led to a heart rate of about 112 beats per minute improve the mood of participants for up to 12 hours.
"Moderate intensity aerobic exercise improves mood immediately and those improvements can last up to 12 hours," says Dr. Jeremy Sibold, the study's lead researcher. "This goes a long way to show that even moderate aerobic exercise has the potential to mitigate the daily stress that results in your mood being disturbed."
Aside from enhancing your mood, exercising early in the day creates new, more effective, brain cells. So, not only will you be happier, you'll also be more productive.
Add 20 minutes of aerobic exercise to your morning routine to see a vast difference in mood and productivity.
