The phrase that had such a lasting impact on James has literally become gospel in our household: “All motion creates positive emotion.” Exercise creates a cascade of chemical events that impact your brain, your body, and your emotions. Imagine dedicating yourself to something that will result in greater clarity, increased happiness, elevated moods, and decreased anxiety and depression. This link between depression and mood in relationship to exercise has actually been studied since the early 1900s. Even a single session of exercise can have a positive impact in individuals with a history of depression.1 It is our opinion that choosing not to exercise is like choosing to be sad or depressed.
What keeps you from moving your body every day? What is your but that gets in the way of being at your best every day? What stories have you told yourself about why you don’t need to make exercise a joyful and grateful priority in your life? Are you willing to open your mind and heart, and embrace exercise as one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself every day to change your life?
Working out has come to mean many things, depending on who you ask. For some people, it may translate to an all-out sweat fest. For others, it may be a yoga session, a kickboxing class, lifting weights, swimming, biking, or martial arts. Working out generally means exerting a physical effort—moving the body in such a way that your heart, body, and mind reap the rewards of a job well done. Now, how many times have you heard someone say they have to work within or work in? We’re guessing not too often.
Working within is when we take the necessary downtime to nurture our spirits. When we’ve been running around nonstop, for example, or we’ve had five days in a row of intense physical exercise, it may be a good time to work within. That is, take an hour or thirty minutes in your day to really unwind. This may come in the form of a massage or meditation. Perhaps it is restorative yoga, journaling, gardening, or chanting. Whatever you choose, working in can have tremendous emotional and physical benefits.
You can actually work out and work within at the same time. This happens when you combine physical exercise with something that has deep or powerful meaning for you, connecting it to your intrinsic motivators, as we discussed before. Say you are a runner, and you run not just for your health but because you want to be a role model, serving as an inspiration for your children. While you are running, you can connect to these intrinsic motivators. For example, you can dedicate your first mile to compassion for your coworker, who may be struggling with his or her relationship. You can dedicate the second mile to unconditional love and the connection you have with your children. And to round out your 5K, you can simply run in gratitude—being grateful for your legs, your lungs, your arms, your running shoes, whatever you are feeling.
Another piece of working within is simply acknowledging your body. When we pay attention to our bodies, we are less likely to become obese, because we have an increased awareness of our physical needs. When we ignore our bodies, we tend to ignore physical exercise and what crosses our lips in terms of food—or alcohol or tobacco or junk; we stop listening to the needs of our bodies. Working within is about listening to your body.
Another way to look at working within is looking at how movement (aka working out) affects what happens on the inside. When we exercise, we feel better on the inside, and connect to our bodies and spirits. Exercise helps us feel more at peace with ourselves.
We are giving you permission to work within. Some days you may just be too exhausted, drained, depleted, sore, or tired. If this is the case, work on your inner strength. Work on your mental fitness. Work on loving yourself more. Practice yoga poses that keep you grounded on the floor (i.e., laying down). Work on paying attention to and acknowledging your beautiful, strong body. Affirm your beautiful, strong body. Be grateful for the ways it has supported you in the past few days or weeks. And the next day, get ready to move your body once again with powerful physical activity.
Choose in this moment a picture of yourself that inspires you. See yourself physically fit. Look deep into your being and see vitality and confidence. See and feel what is like to be that person who honors their self-care with impeccable discipline and commitment. Know that vision of you is within you right now and ready to be unleashed. Start with where you are. Get dressed to Move. See it to be it. When you see yourself dressed and ready, chances are you will follow through.
Exercise changes your brain. It was fairly recent—only a few decades ago—that researchers discovered that exercise can actually generate new nerve cells in the brain. With early research done primarily on mice (and later, monkeys), researchers were able to conclude that moderate exercise improved alertness, attentiveness, and increased learning times.2
We have discussed BDNF several times now. (Remember brain-derived neurotrophic factor? It’s the Miracle-Gro protein that’s always ready to potentiate your good mood, your clarity, and your cognition.) When we are stressed (under the influence of high cortisol), BDNF decreases. When we exercise, BDNF increases! BDNF is critical to protecting your brain cells (neurons) from damage and death, and for helping them to grow and become stronger. For example, lower levels of circulating BDNF are an independent risk for increased mortality in older women (over eighty-five years).3 But you have the power to create BDNF at every age with the right food, movement, and lifestyle.
Exercise is the ultimate smart pill! Movement sparks both physical and mental fitness. One particular study was done with students in Naperville, IL. This school community, like others across the country, was seeing a dramatic drop in math and science scores and overall performance. So someone decided they needed to make some changes and turn things around. What this school district did was awesome, and it has started a revolution. These pioneers created what is referred to as “Zero Hour PE,” scheduled first thing in the morning, at 7:00 AM. This timing is strategic in that it happens just before math and science classes, which begin the school day. What has this move done for the students? Over the last dozen-plus years that Zero Hour PE has been in place, Naperville kids have been crushing their science and math scores. Their scores always rank in the top tier of the country. These kids who are moving every morning are fired up intellectually, emotionally, and physically. Their brains are firing and wiring at an optimum level, and they are happier and healthier too.4
Other studies have reported similar findings. Researchers at Michigan State University verified that students (two hundred sixth graders) who participated in vigorous sports did 10 percent better in science, English, math, and social studies compared to other students.5 We are emphasizing vigorous here because students in the regular PE class did not do any better or worse in their academic classes, which is interesting. For us, that means if you are going to take the time to make exercise happen, make it count by really pushing yourself.
So what does it mean to Thrive under the influence of exercise? It means increasing BDNF levels through interval training, resistance training, and aerobic exercise. This improves our thinking, our mood, and our clarity. Thriving under the influence of exercise means pushing ourselves outside of the comfort zone yet paying attention to our body, listening to its needs.
Dr. James Reveals the Magic Pill
The healthiest brains are attached to bodies that move; regular, strong, and vigorous exercise strengthens circulation for body and mind. Exercise makes the brain more adaptable and higher functioning. One of the saddest and greatest tragedies we have witnessed as human beings and primary care providers is the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.6 The loss of one’s mind is cruel to the affected person, and their loved ones and caregivers are deeply affected as well. Treatment for AD and dementia is very challenging and costly. The latest statistics from the American Alzheimer’s Association show that in 2013, an estimated 5.2 million Americans of all ages had AD. One in nine people age sixty-five and older has AD, and 32 percent of people age eighty-five and older have AD.7
In cultures around the world that exhibit the greatest longevity, it is rare to see dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Why? What is it that we are doing here in the United States that drives this disease and makes it so commonplace? Our Western way of eating and not moving are primary risk factors. Higher levels of physical activity are linked to a reduced risk of AD.8 Prevention is our best opportunity to fight this growing trend.
The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging published a study that boasted the ability of exercise to protect our brains. The study showed that people with the highest level of activity were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to people who were inactive. Exercisers were also 50 percent less likely to develop any form of dementia or mental impairment.9
A study from the Annals of Internal Medicine found that older adults who exercised three or more times per week had a 30 to 40 percent lower risk for developing dementia than their more sedentary counterparts.10 And in a review of studies published in the Archives of Medical Research, researchers concluded that there is indeed a “robust” association between physical activity and a reduction in memory impairment.11 The message is simple and encouraging: the more we Move, the better we Think.
The hallmarks of a diseased brain are its rigid pathways and appearance—when the brain becomes hardened by lack of blood flow, increased inflammation, and lack of stimulation. In Alzheimer’s disease, for example, the brain will usually have a large quantity of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (these are types of protein fragments that cannot be dissolved). There is also a loss of connection between nerve cells. But exercise may help to help bridge those connections, possibly by rerouting neurons or creating new connections.12 Think of exercise as a direct lifeline to mental fitness, along with cognitive and emotional resilience.
Exercise helps us feel better physically, which translates to feeling better mentally and emotionally. This gives us a greater sense of well-being, and translates to greater overall confidence and self-esteem. And since exercise helps relieve stress, it allows us to better manage challenges that come our way. When we overcome challenges, confidence increases. Exercise also increases the amount of oxygen flowing to the brain, which can stimulate greater clarity and confidence.
Your brain houses it’s own pharmacy of chemicals that can either support or hinder confidence, motivation, and clarity. Remember those neurotransmitters we described earlier? Dopamine serves as a powerful catalyst to enliven and bring forth greater confidence. Exercise increases both your level of dopamine and the number of receptor sites, which allows for greater absorption. When under the influence of dopamine, you will be more likely to have higher levels of motivation, confidence, and conviction. Another cool side effect of having optimum levels of dopamine is that it may also help with curbing addictive behaviors to sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, and other challenging substances. And the best time to crank up your dopamine stores is first thing in the morning.
We’ve mentioned our propensity for morning movement. Our physiology is wonderfully vulnerable to building and releasing our chemical dream team (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) first thing in the day. When we nourish our bodies with exercise first thing in the morning, we tend to have greater confidence, motivation, and resistance to addiction and sugar cravings all day long—and we’re not talking about running a marathon every morning. Dopamine responds best to shorter exercise bouts at greater intensity (again, think HIIT).
For the next week, commit to waking up just thirty to forty-five minutes earlier than usual and include exercise in your morning routine. (If you already have some time built into your mornings, simply commit to adding exercise.) Commit to writing in your journal immediately after exercising and around midmorning—at least a few words that explain how you feel adding this into your routine. We’re willing to bet you’ll feel inspired to continue the ritual, and then you’ll be able to see it in writing: proof that including exercise in the morning feels wonderful!
Exercise supports a healthier self-esteem and positive body image. And healthy self-esteem and self-confidence bring forth an entirely different energy into relationships, both personal and professional. It’s fairly obvious when a person is confident or insecure. Sure, you can fake confidence, but wouldn’t you rather experience the authentic feeling? Exercise supports that feeling, that healthy glow—that inner knowing that you have what it takes to persevere through life’s ups and downs. You are unshakeable.
What does Thriving look like to you in relationship to movement and exercise? Can you see how regular exercise stimulates your brain and your self-confidence? Write down four proactive steps you can take immediately to support your mental health. Maybe it is scheduling one day of downtime to focus on your inner wellness. Perhaps it is doing something physical that stretches you and helps build confidence. Follow through on your steps and continue to journal the experience.
Whether you are a busy mom, a surgeon, student, entrepreneur, financial planner, or unemployed, exercise will elevate your mental and emotional wellness to help you become the brilliant, kind, patient, and confident person that you were born to be.
We were all born for greatness; it’s just that some of us forget it, as chronic adultness gets in the way. We’re here to cheer you on to get started and to remind you to keep up the good work.