Exercise for High Morale

Exercise can release tension and reduce stress. But do you know that high morale is also one of its important benefits?

Physiologists and psychologists have observed for years that persons who exercise regularly have a more positive mental attitude than unfit and sedentary individuals.

Two reasons for the phenomenon are that persons free of tension and physically fit simply feel better—they have less reason to be depressed or mentally sluggish—and persons who have the self-discipline necessary to follow an exercise program are achievers: they already possess high morale.

Studies suggest that exercise causes chemical changes in the brain which alters its thinking process. The changes in attitude and morale are therefore effects directly related to exercise.

Clinical psychologists found that mental alertness was improved when large amounts of pure oxygen were delivered to brain cells. They administered pure oxygen to senile patients placed in a pressurized chamber. After receiving pure oxygen treatments twice a day for 15 days, the patients took a standard memory test. Their scores improved by as much as 25 percent from previous experiments.

It was noted that male participants who were 50 years old and above felt better and enjoyed their lives more by being active.

Two important findings were confirmed by the clinical studies:

• To have a good oxygen supply to the brain, it must be delivered by a healthy heart and strong blood vessels. This delivery system should be kept in the best condition.

• For the brain cells to perform efficiently, they should not be deprived of a sufficient amount of oxygen; otherwise, this will cause the decline of intellect and reasoning power, which may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

Let us then exercise, while breathing deeply and diaphragmatically. Enjoy!