3389: How To Feel Happier, Smarter, Wealthier by Emma Hogan with Les Mills on Holistic Self Improvement

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[00:00:52] This is Optimal Health Daily. How to feel happier, smarter, wealthier by Emma Hogan of lesmills.com. And I'm your host and narrator, Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Saturday and welcome back to another weekend edition of Optimal Health Daily. This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web. And always with my commentary at the end. And with that, let's jump right in and hear today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:25] How to feel happier, smarter, wealthier by Emma Hogan of lesmills.com. Will indoor cycling improve your intellect? Could squats make you more successful? Might weight training make you wealthy? Science suggests that when you choose to exercise, you can win at work, boost your brain power, shift stress, and become altogether happier. Number one, work out and become happier.

[00:01:55] If you're facing a tough day and want an immediate mood boost, add 20 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise to your morning routine. Science highlights this as a favored formula for instant mood enhancement, quickly sparking an endorphin high while the positive effects can last up to 12 hours. A quick cardio session in the morning has been shown to provide the same mood boost as caffeine.

[00:02:20] And the bonus? Exercise can reduce caffeine withdrawal symptoms, such as fatigue and a depressed mood. According to scientists exploring how exercise eases negativity, it takes just four aerobic sessions a week to reap significant psychological benefits, such as reduced depression and feelings of hostility. And the mood-enhancing benefits are long-lasting. They can still be in your system for weeks following your exercise.

[00:02:47] It's not just cardio that sparks exercise-induced happiness. Another set of researchers evaluated 23 published studies and found that as little as 10 minutes of any physical exercise per week can result in increased levels of happiness. Those who accumulated at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days were 30% more likely to report being happy than those who didn't get their fitness fix.

[00:03:14] Number two, work out and feel wealthier. Studies show there's a link between the amount of time people exercise and the size of their salaries. According to the Journal of Labor Research, employees who exercise regularly earn 9% more than their sedentary sidekicks. And regardless of their actual paycheck, regular exercisers also just feel wealthier.

[00:03:39] A team of Yale and Oxford researchers collected data from 1.2 million Americans analyzing how often they experienced stress, depression, or emotional problems concerning their income and level of physical activity. They found that while a pay increase will make most people feel good, exercise can make them feel even better. Those who exercised felt just as good as inactive individuals who earned $25,000 more a year.

[00:04:09] The scientists considered all forms of physical activity, everything from gardening and housework to weightlifting and running, but found the greatest mental health benefits come from team activities, cycling, and aerobic gym sessions. Don't forget there are other financial perks associated with exercise too, like lower healthcare costs and the ability to remain productive into old age. Number three, work out and boost your brain power.

[00:04:36] If you're studying for an exam or simply want to increase your intellect, a good sweat session could be just the ticket. Studies show that exercise promotes academic achievement and can bolster your cognitive function, improve your memory, and lift your attention span. It will also enhance your executive function, which is your ability to think differently, adapt to new situations, and regulate emotions. The intellect-advancing benefits kick in

[00:05:03] because exercise alters the physical makeup of your brain. Aerobic exercise increases the amount of gray matter, or the parts of the brain that contain the cell bodies of neurons, which lifts your brain's processing capabilities. And it happens pretty quickly. One study revealed how the brain-boosting benefits observed just after one workout can indicate the extent of long-term changes. Those who saw the biggest improvements in cognition and functional brain connectivity

[00:05:31] after single sessions of moderate-intensity physical activity also showed the biggest long-term gains. While much of the research around physical fitness and brain power has focused on slowing cognitive decline in older people, a study of 20-somethings showed that if you're young and fit, you're also likely to have superior memory and thinking skills. Using special MRI brain scans, German scientists assessed the white matter, or the parts of the brain that connect the cell bodies of neurons,

[00:06:01] inside 1,200 young people's brains. They also carried out cognitive tests, medical checkups, aerobic fitness tests, and health and lifestyle questionnaires. Those who were relatively out of shape had poor memory and thinking skills, plus their white matter was weaker and more frayed than those with better fitness levels. Number four, work out and become more resilient. Exercise, specifically yoga-based workouts such as body balance,

[00:06:29] can increase your mental resilience by improving heart rate variability. Heart rate variability is a measure of the variation in time between heartbeats, and there is evidence that greater variation makes us more able to shift from being stressed to being relaxed, which means we're better equipped to cope with the pressures of daily life. Studies show low heart rate variability is correlated with anxiety and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

[00:06:57] Being physically fit increases your immunological fitness too, so you're less likely to be out of action with sickness. Exercising increases blood flow and mobilizes white blood cells, one of your body's main defenses against harmful microbes. The antioxidants produced during exercise can help lessen the impacts of most illnesses. Experts recommend exercise as good medicine for countering everything from common colds to chronic illnesses such as cancer.

[00:07:25] A huge 2013 comparison study of exercise and drug interventions found that being fit was as good, if not better, at combating many chronic illnesses. And number five, work out and send stress packing. A fascinating study involving mice revealed that regular exercise can make it easier to bounce back from stressful situations. It all comes down to something called galanin, a peptide associated with mental health.

[00:07:53] People with genetically low levels of galanin face an uncommonly high risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Exercise leads to a surge in galanin production, and the more galanin, the greater the stress resilience. These findings are backed up by numerous other studies linking physical activity to reduced feelings of anxiety, improved quality of life, and better sleep. There is also evidence that working out with others can amplify the benefits.

[00:08:23] A study from the Les Mills lab found that people who do group workouts have less stress and greater physical, mental, and emotional quality of life compared to those who work out alone. We also know that working out with others increases individual enjoyment, exertion, and satisfaction. If you want to be happier, smarter, wealthier, more productive, and more successful, exercise is your golden ticket. According to research,

[00:08:51] 92% of regular exercisers always experience an exercise-induced boost with feelings of accomplishment, energy, and enjoyment. Over three quarters of those who are regularly active strongly agree that they're satisfied with their life in terms of career, relationships, quality of life, financial prospects, and self-esteem. In contrast, just 23% of the study's inactive group were happy with their life. Those who exercise regularly

[00:09:20] also feel much more in control. In contrast, 62% of the inactive study participants felt they lacked control in their daily lives, regularly feeling nervous, stressed, angry, or upset. You just listened to the post titled, How to Feel Happier, Smarter, Wealthier, by Emma Hogan of lesmills.com and I'll be right back with my commentary. If you've been optimizing your diet,

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[00:11:19] Monthly and other limits and terms apply. Learn more at americanexpress.com slash business dash platinum. Dr. Neal Malik here with my commentary. I want to go back to something that today's author, Emma, mentioned about exercise and its effect on the body's immune system. Remember, the immune system is what keeps us healthy. It helps us fight off toxins, harmful bacteria and viruses. The immune system, believe it or not, also helps fight off cancer cells. Now, you may have heard that too much exercise

[00:11:48] and high intensity exercise may actually make our immune systems weaker. So because of this, some people are afraid to work out too much or are afraid to perform higher intensity exercise. For example, studies have found that marathon runners are more likely to develop upper respiratory infection. But it turns out this may be more related to lack of adequate rest periods between training sessions instead of the marathon running itself. And when it comes

[00:12:17] to higher intensity training, like high intensity interval training, the immune system does get slightly weaker immediately after the training session. But after 24 hours or so after that hard training session, the immune system comes back even stronger than before. So what does this all mean? Overall, regular exercise, whether it's moderate intensity or high intensity, is good for the immune system. Which means exercise helps us

[00:12:46] fight off those harmful toxins, bacteria, viruses, and believe it or not, possibly even cancer cells. Alright, that'll do it for today. I hope you have a great rest of your day. Thank you so much for tuning in and be sure to come back for more OHD tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.