Carolyn Hansen: Happiness comes from within and exercise helps

Endorphins are nature's "feel good" hormones and are manufactured in the brain during intense physical activity. Photo / 123rf

OPINION

Happiness is almost a worldwide obsession these days. The self-help shelves of bookstores and online websites are laden with offerings that promise to help you find or achieve happiness.

We could define happiness as simply "feeling good". It doesn't mean life is perfect but generally we have a sense of direction, purpose and meaning to our life. When we have an overall sense of satisfaction and contentment we can say we are happy.

For many, though, happiness is hard to obtain. Research is showing evidence of a rising tide of this spirit of unhappiness in most advanced societies. A decline in the number of people who regard themselves as "happy" is being documented and seems to be consistent with the staggering increase in cases of depression in the last decade.

There has been an increase in anti-depressant drugs prescribed and many of us now take mood-enhancement drugs for this now very common problem which was once a rare condition.

One of the downsides of this "loss of happiness" is the need to replace what has been lost with external sources such as alcohol and drugs, food and overeating, relationships or material items.

Some of these things may give temporary relief but do not provide long-term happiness, joy, peacefulness or contentment. Could it be these things are being lost to us as our world becomes more and more sedentary and inactive?

The widespread lack of physical activity in our modern technology-driven "easy, comfortable" lives means we experience lowered endorphin levels on an ongoing basis.

Endorphins are nature's "feelgood" hormones and are manufactured in the brain during intense physical activity. Endorphins lift your mood, calm you, relieve stress AND make you happy. They elevate your mood long after the exercise session has stopped, and help keep us mentally and emotionally stable.

You could call it "meditation in motion". After an exercise session you will often find that you have forgotten the day's irritations and when you regularly shed your daily stresses through physical activity, the resulting energy and optimism boost can help you remain clear and focused, spilling over positively into every aspect of your life.

Many people are missing out on this natural "inner" magic because they think they are too busy, don't have time, are too stressed or that they simply don't need to bother to take time out to exercise.

But when you neglect your health and your body all of your life goals are balancing on a shaky platform, making being "happy" so much more elusive.

You could say happiness is one of the key ingredients to health. Improving fitness not only improves the body on the outside but gives us inner peace and harmony, a feeling of being whole and complete within oneself. From this radiates happiness – all from the inside out.

This then leads on to that state of appreciation, a sense of satisfaction and contentment with your lot in life and finally a perception of balance and peace. No pills can ever match these feelings...and.....no prescription required.

Somehow; we must once again take pride in being in control of our own life, our health, our body and our well-being and the answer is not in doctors and pills - it is inside of each of us. This simple exercise solution is easily accessed for just a little time and effort and if you listen to the messages you body is sending you that something is missing it could be saying "I REALLY need exercise?"
Carolyn Hansen is the co-owner of Anytime Fitness