The world is currently struggling with both an influx of major stress while people in great numbers are also unemployed and inactive. This is leading to a massive spike in depression and related symptoms. For these reasons, I was wondering if someone could give me a good explanation for why resting often makes exhausting situations even more exhausting. Thanks!
In: Biology
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I think I saw a similar question in this sub. And I remember someone said when you make exercise regularly, body thinks like I burnt a lot of ATP so I need to produce a lot more and thats why we feel more energetic.
There can also be a mental aspect where you get validated from ur activity thus thinking u feel more energetic.
Think about it like percentages. If you have 100 energy and spend 90 of that on daily things you have 10% left.
Increasing strength makes tasks easier so you might only use up 80 per day. Increasing cardio makes starting energy higher, say 120. Now you have 33% left at the end of the day.
You mention mood so I’ll add that exercise is a positive feedback loop. It makes you feel better and more energetic so it’s easier to get more exercise so you feel better and more energetic… works the same way in reverse for laziness.
In a sentence, exhaustion is relative to how much energy you have.
When you exercise, you need more energy. As a result, your body gears up to provide you with everything you need. You start burning more fuel to release more energy. You start breathing deeper to supply more oxygen to every part of your body.
And vice versa the same happens. If you behave like a couch potato, your body is going to gear down. Most of the food you ingest will be shunted to storage rather than burned up for energy. You breathe easy, your heart rate goes down.
Your question is kinda like asking why a car can drive farther when you hit the gas compared to turning of the engine while you coast.
On top of that, your body isn’t simply a vehicle for your mind. It’s much more accurate to say your mind is an operating system to get your body where it needs to go. Any time you only use your body while your mind languishes or vice versa, you’re not doing your physical and mental health any favours.
You evolved to live in the moment when body and mind working in perfect synchronicity towards a single goal. That’s why exercise is good for our mental health.
I call it the “energy well”.
If you invest exercise(walking, cycling, hiking, lifting weights,…many other workouts) into your life, then your energy bank is higher.. much higher than it is sitting on the couch.
What I’m trying to communicate is that if you don’t use it you lose it. But if you do use it your body will work with you to make it stronger for the next time you use it. Increase protein in your diet to help at this point. I prefer dried beef jerky and green vege drinks.
I’m not a master on the topic. But exercise releases endorphins that fight stress. Serotonin is also released, which increases your happiness. There can be other mental factors too. Completing X minutes/hours of exercise can make you feel like you accomplished something. Especially if you had a goal for that exercise session.
I can’t say that exercise is the be-all end-all cure for depression. But as someone who spent a lot of time with the black dog, I can say that exercise did/does wonders for how I feel. Huge improvements to my motivation, sleep patterns, happiness levels, not feeling useless, etc.
Anyone out there feeling down in the dumps should look at their diet and exercise before looking at prescription pills from the doctor (which have been known to make things worse for a lot of people).
Long term – because we are a very adaptable animal and we will adapt to low energy situations as well as high energy ones. So in low energy situations we will lose mitochondria (the power plant of the cell) because they aren’t worth the resources to create them. In high energy situations we create them. Active people who enjoy exercise will have more mitochondria and other physiological differences like fat adaptation that allow for sustained higher energy levels.
Short term – because exercise releases endorphins and other biochemicals that increase energy. Adrenaline for example is a hormone that is also used in the brain as a neurotransmitter. In the body it increases energy use, in the brain it increases the sympathetic nervous system and increases heart rate.
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