Why am I sexier, smarter and more cheerful after a jog?
This is a phenomenon that I’ve observed many times. I’m feeling a bit lumpy, frumpy and uninspired after plugging away at my laptop all day, or slugging it out with tricky patient cases in the clinic. And as I reluctantly pull on some running gear, push my unwilling feet into my trainers, slip a hat over my unruly hair, something starts to shift.
And so it starts, rather slowly, let’s be honest. Walking steps, right, left, right, left. A few deep breaths and then *groan*, my body slowly responds to the call for a bouncier rhythm. And a jogging motion begins. I’m doing it. I’m taking a run.
Bit by little bit my internal dialogue goes from “why would you make me do this” to “oh, it’s okay” to “actually, this is quite good for me!”.
There’s this interesting thing that happens, where my energies change, and as my body moves through the motions of the run, my mind and spirit seem to follow. The problems that were weighing me down - bah, I’ve left them behind. That stupid email I couldn’t compose suddenly takes shape and the perfect phrasing arises. What is this magic??
And then, after the sweat, pleasurable aches and delights of sun and air on skin have come to an end, as I shower and observe myself in the bathroom mirror - I see myself anew. How is it I’m sexier now than I was this morning before my run? Why does my body look good now? How does it feel so good to be in my body? Life is so pleasant right now!
Again, what magic is this??
Well turns out that it’s not magic, it’s physiology. Running does a bunch of things, which can explain how you suddenly find yourself feeling sexier, smarter and more cheerful post-hauling your backside around the park.
Endorphins
Running (along with many forms of exercise) stimulates the production of endorphins due to the positive stresses it puts on your physical body. They are feel-good chemicals produced in your brain (hypothalamus +pituitary gland) that are natural opioids. These chemical compounds have a direct effect on your mood, pain perception and reward sections of the brain. After about 20-30mins of running the levels of endorphins rise - you start to feel a lift in mood, a reduction in any niggles and aches in your body, improved mental clarity and perhaps you even begin to feel pleased with yourself for getting those sneakers on and your butt out the door! Now you LOVE running and you’re feeling oddly cheerful!
Improved cerebral perfusion
Running increases your cardiac output (more movement = more heart pumping = more blood circulation). Alongside this, your blood pressure rises as part of the process - which enhances flow to your brain. Additional physiological adaptations enhance this. Exercise induces the production of Nitric Oxide in the airways - which is a vasodilator and also enhances gas exchange in the lungs, ergo your brain perks up as capilliaries open up and deliver beautifully oxygenated blood flow to it. Regular cardiovascular exercise can also help your brain grow more and better capillaries, so the benefits increase over time. Your brain gets the fresh fuel it needs to function better - and you feel improved mental clarity both during and after your running session. Ergo - you feel smarter!
Investment in bodily and emotional care
So we’ve discussed endorphins - they can make you feel good, and as a result perceive yourself in a more positive light. Psychologically speaking - getting out for a run is not always an easy task, so when you rise to the occasion and get it done, you feel a sense of achievement, of having kept a promise to yourself. This boosts self-efficacy and esteem. Add onto this the great movement you’ve done in the moment - feeling the sensations of an active body helps you connect to the functional capacity of your physical body, and to appreciate what it does more than how it looks. And finally, as you feel the fitness and strength benefits of regular exercise, your self-perception can change alongside improved muscle tone, energy and vibrancy. And thus you start to see a very sexy human looking back at you in the mirror after your post-run shower!
So going for a jog really can make you sexier, smarter and more cheerful. All for free, anytime, anywhere. And if you can’t jog - don’t worry - you can most of this with any form of robust exercise a few days per week.
What else arises as a benefit of exercise for you? Drop into the comments!