Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer lifeLive your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletterLive your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletterExperts have long recognized that exercise helps to improve your mood – and even a little bit of movement can have a big impact. Part of that is due to stress-relieving hormones called endorphins that are released when you exercise and have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, according to the Cleveland Clinic.To quote Elle Woods, the main character of the early 2000’s classic film Legally Blonde: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”But, did you know that as little as 30 seconds of jumping jacks or another activity can do the trick?“Even if you only have 30 seconds or even two minutes, you can do something and move around and still help with your mood,” C.J. Brush, an assistant professor of kinesiology at Auburn University, told The Washington Post Thursday.open image in galleryExercise helps to boost mood and experts are saying that even a small amount can have a huge benefit. (Getty Images)It doesn’t even have to be that strenuous. Running can give people a release of endorphins commonly known as the “runner’s high” and just 15 minutes of running has been shown to help slash the odds of becoming depressed, but most people benefit from low-intensity exercise sustained over time.That kind of exercise helps the body release proteins known as neurotrophic or growth factors that cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections — an improvement in brain function that Harvard Medical School says makes you feel better.”In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain – the region that helps regulate mood – is smaller. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression,” Dr. Michael Craig Miller, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the school, said.Of course, doing longer and more intense workouts is better for overall physical health. But, less than a third of Americans are getting enough exercise and millions suffer from symptoms of depression.open image in galleryJust a brief and brisk walk can make a difference to your mental and physical health (Getty Images)Federal health officials recommend getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, as well as two days of muscle-strengthening activity.But, doing anything is better than nothing, according to Miller. Sometimes not exercising can be a hard cycle to break – especially if you’re suffering from depression symptoms. Some people are also more genetically or psychologically inclined to enjoy exercise. Starting slow can be the key to success and a mood boost. Taking as few as 4,000 daily steps could be enough to slash the risk of premature death, according to a recent study.”If you think to yourself, ‘I’m just going to walk 30 seconds,’ when you begin to move, your body will get into it to some extent and you’ll begin to feel like walking another 30 seconds or another minute,” Dr. Robert Thayer, an exercise researcher at the University of California at Long Beach, told the American Psychological Association.
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Even a little bit of exercise can turn that frown upside down
