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Exercise Your Head
Study has found that working out regularly improves your mood, boosts your sense of self-esteem and even enhances the function of your brain.
As with other aspects1 of the health connection between mind and body, scientists are only beginning to understand why physical workouts also provide a mental and emotional boost2. But many possibilities are already known, and new research is continually going forward. For those in search of mental as well as physical motivation, here are 12 extra reasons to begin a workout program for the new millennium.
1. Working out can give you a sense of exhilaration3 and accomplishment, and the increased self-esteem that results from doing something you know is good for you,
2. Exercise causes your body to produce endorphins, the chemicals that dull pain and help produce what’s known as the exercise high.
3. Weight-bearing exercise particularly raises your testosterone levels, which can help improve your mood, especially if your levels are naturally on the low side.
4. According to Harvard psychiatrist John J. Raety, M.d., coauthor of a book on psychological disorders called Shadow Syndromes, a single workout can rains your brain’s levels of antidepressant chemicals, such as dopamine, serotonin and nor epinephrine.
5. If you are feeling down, exercise may help pick you up. Although researchers disagree on this issue, one review of past studies found that long-term exercise, especially when it includes long-lasting, strenuous4 training sessions, has about as much of an effect on depression as psychotherapy. (Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek therapy. If you believe you may be suffering from depression, the first thing to do is to consult a mental-health professional.)
6. Working out helps you deal with stress in your job, relationships or any area of life_ possibly because exercise is a form of stress itself and helps condition your body to deal with it. When Australian researchers compared people who did 30 minutes of aerobic5 exercise three times a week to those who practice progressive-relaxation techniques, they found that the former group responded better to acute stress and had lower blood pressure.
7. Even a little exercise can make you think less anxiously. Studies have shown that any amount of exercise, from a brisk 10 minutes walk to an intense aerobics or weightlifting session, seems to decrease feelings of anxiety.
8. Aerobic exercise may make you think well. Over time, cardio exercise (coupled with a healthful diet) improves the flow of blood that carries oxygen and nutrients6to your brain.
9. Working out regularly may make you smarter now and lessen the possibility that you’ll lose brain function7 as you age. According to a recent animal study at the University of Illinois, exercise can actually help the brain develop new cells.
10. In several studies, regular weight training or aerobic exercise was shown to improve the quality and duration of sleep. Naturally, this can make you less fatigued and be able to function better during the day.
11. Like meditation, hobbies or any other leisure activity, exercise gives your mind a needed break from everyday thoughts, responsibilities and commitments.
Finally, there’s one more reason to keep exercising. When you work out regularly ( but don’t overstrain), your body simply functions better--you are better, healthier and less likely to suffer painful physical conditions. And that just plain feels good.
锻炼大脑
研究发现：有规律的锻炼能改善心境、提高自信心，甚至能增强大脑的功能。
毫无疑问，锻炼对身体有益，但许多人没有认识到锻炼也有益于头脑。不，我们并不是说练举重会以下子把你变得像爱因斯坦那样聪明。 但大量的研究发现：有规律的锻炼能改善心境、提高自信心，甚至能增强大脑的功能。
如同身体健康于大脑健康在其他方面的联系一样，虽然科学家们才刚刚开始明白为什么锻炼身体能增进智力，改善情绪，但是许多可能的事已为人所知，新的研究也在进行中。 对于那些在头脑方面和身体方面寻找促进因素的人，以下是在新千年里开始锻炼计划的12条附加理由。
1、锻炼能产生愉悦感和成就感，而且做某种熟悉的活动能提高自信，这样对你有好处。
2、锻炼能处使身体分泌内啡肽，内啡肽能缓解痛感，有助于产生所谓的运动快感。
3、举重训练尤其能够提高素水平，从而帮助改善心境，特别是如果你的水平天生较低。
4、哈佛大学精神病医生，医学博士约翰·瑞特是一本关于精神错乱的《影子综合证》的合著者，他认为单单一次锻炼就能提高大脑中多巴胺血清素和去甲肾上胰素等抗忧郁的化学物质含量。
5、如果情绪低落，锻炼能使你振作起来。尽管科研人员对此意见不一，但一份回顾过去多种研究的报告发现长期的锻炼，尤其是包括长时间、高强度训练，对抑郁症几乎同心理治疗一样有效。（当然，这并不是说你不应该求助于心理治疗。如果你觉得可能受抑郁症影响，首先应咨询心理健康专家。）
6、锻炼能帮助人们适应工作、生活或其他方面的压力（可能因为锻炼本身也是一种压力），帮助调节身体来应付压力。澳大利亚研究人员对比每周三次做30分钟有氧健身操的人和练习渐进式放松技巧的人时发现：前一组人员更能适应高度紧张，血压更低。
7、即使少量的锻炼也能减轻焦虑。研究表明：锻炼不论时间长短，从10分钟的健步行走到剧烈的有氧健身操或举重，似乎都能减少焦虑感。
8、有氧锻炼可以使你的思维更加敏锐。日积月累，心脏锻炼（加上健康的饮食）会改善向大脑输送氧气和营养物质的血液质量。
9、有规律的锻炼可以使你更聪明，降低随年龄增长大脑功能退化的可能性。最近伊利诺伊大学的动物实验表明：实际上锻炼能帮助大脑新细胞的产生。
10、有几项研究表明：有规律地练习举重或有氧锻炼能改善睡眠质量，延长睡眠时间。这自然就会减少你的疲惫感，从而能在白天更好地工作。
11、像静坐默想、个人嗜好或其他任何休闲活动一样，锻炼使你的大脑在日常思考、责任和负担之余得到必要的休息。
最后还有一条坚持锻炼的理由。当你有规律地进行锻炼（但不要过度）时，你的身体绝对运转得更好——你会更健壮、更健康，更少感到疼痛。那种感觉就是棒。
Notes:
1. aspect n. 方面
2. boost v. 提高
3. exhilaration n. 高兴，活跃，兴奋
4. strenuous adj. 必须努力的
5. aerobic adj. 有氧的，耗氧的
6. nutrient adj. 有营养的
7. function v. 起作用
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