Get Moving to Overcome a Bad Mood–for All Day!

It’s no secret that exercise gives us a mental/emotional boost. But how long does that last? Forty-eight healthy men and women were randomly divided into two groups at the University of Vermont. The first group rested and the second group moderately rode an exercise bicycle for 20 minutes. After the exercise or rest period each subject completed a standard mood questionnaire at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours. The researchers found the exercisers had significantly less mood disturbances up to 12 hours following exercise compared to the rest group which saw no improvements.

PositiveTip: The emotional boost of 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise extends well into the rest of the day!