WEBVTT 00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:03.680 We all know those people. 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:07.780 They show up to class with a light ethereal sheen of sweat 00:00:07.780 --> 00:00:10.628 on their forehead, with their fixed gear bike in tow. 00:00:10.628 --> 00:00:13.744 And they go for a light jog at lunch. And then they eat a PowerBar. 00:00:13.744 --> 00:00:18.076 Or they bow out after drinks for a quick little jaunt on the elliptical. 00:00:18.076 --> 00:00:21.941 Sure, sure they’re gym rats and they're pretty darn annoying. 00:00:21.941 --> 00:00:28.306 But they may be on to something when it comes to- wait for it - mental health! 00:00:28.306 --> 00:00:31.688 Yep. We're going to get you into their camp without 00:00:31.688 --> 00:00:34.353 having you invest in leg warmers and wristbands. 00:00:34.353 --> 00:00:38.235 Today on Wellcast we're going to be talking about exercise. 00:00:38.235 --> 00:00:43.149 Now, we all know that exercise can help out with our weight 00:00:43.149 --> 00:00:46.765 and our strength and our endurance and our flexibility. 00:00:46.765 --> 00:00:53.313 But how much do you know about the effects of exercise on the mind? 00:00:53.313 --> 00:00:57.347 Physically the benefits of exercise are pretty obvious 00:00:57.347 --> 00:00:59.813 and the American College of Sports Medicine 00:00:59.813 --> 00:01:02.795 recommends 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day. 00:01:02.795 --> 00:01:05.794 The Surgeon General – well, he agrees. 00:01:05.794 --> 00:01:09.855 It'll keep your heart healthy, your weight down, and all systems go. 00:01:09.855 --> 00:01:15.256 But the psychological benefits of exercise are actually just as compelling. 00:01:15.256 --> 00:01:18.688 Physically active people show significantly fewer symptoms 00:01:18.688 --> 00:01:20.855 of depression than sedentary people. 00:01:20.855 --> 00:01:24.388 A study done by doctors at the University of Texas Medical Center 00:01:24.388 --> 00:01:27.453 found that people who exercise 30 minutes per day were 00:01:27.453 --> 00:01:31.036 almost half as likely to be depressed as people who did not. 00:01:31.036 --> 00:01:36.766 Exercise also releases endorphins to the brain creating a sense of well-being. 00:01:36.766 --> 00:01:38.749 It makes people high on wellness 00:01:38.749 --> 00:01:42.231 and it's natural, legal, and it won't give you the munchies. 00:01:42.231 --> 00:01:46.163 Along with it getting you awesomely pumped up on endorphins, 00:01:46.163 --> 00:01:49.063 exercise increases alpha wave activity to the brain. 00:01:49.063 --> 00:01:53.793 That's the kind of brain wave that helps you clear your mind and focus. 00:01:53.793 --> 00:02:02.058 But now, we've come to a roadblock. To a lot of people exercise is boring. 00:02:02.058 --> 00:02:05.872 You don't like getting sweaty. It's uncomfortable. 00:02:05.872 --> 00:02:10.790 It's not fun you don't have time. The list goes on. 00:02:10.790 --> 00:02:15.704 But that's why we're here and we're going to get you into a brain clearing, 00:02:15.704 --> 00:02:19.750 focus building exercise routine that won't seem too daunting to start. 00:02:19.750 --> 00:02:24.266 And we're going to get your brain to realize why exercise is essential. 00:02:24.266 --> 00:02:27.632 Time for our Wellcast journal workout. 00:02:27.632 --> 00:02:30.648 And we actually mean a physical one this time. 00:02:30.648 --> 00:02:34.331 First, set aside 30 minutes to workout. 00:02:34.331 --> 00:02:39.078 That's right put on that workout gear of choice, 00:02:39.078 --> 00:02:40.829 crank up your music, get your heart rate up. 00:02:40.829 --> 00:02:42.778 Get sweaty, dance around if you need to. 00:02:42.778 --> 00:02:46.142 Do jumping jacks, jog in place, take a break to do a few sit-ups. 00:02:46.142 --> 00:02:48.726 Nothing too intimidating, though. Okay? 00:02:48.726 --> 00:02:52.340 And after 30 minutes, sit down with your Wellcast journal 00:02:52.340 --> 00:02:56.722 and write about it and about how you felt during the workout. 00:02:56.722 --> 00:02:59.188 Not how your body felt. Focus on your mind: 00:02:59.188 --> 00:03:03.235 Did you have trouble starting? How did you feel in the middle of the workout? 00:03:03.235 --> 00:03:09.033 At the end? Now try doing this every day for one week. 00:03:09.033 --> 00:03:12.765 That's right pump iron, run in place, do sit-ups, 00:03:12.765 --> 00:03:16.132 do those jumping jacks for 30 minutes every day. 00:03:16.132 --> 00:03:20.232 At the end of the week write down how your mood has changed within that period. 00:03:20.232 --> 00:03:24.163 The brain recognizes success when it sees it. 00:03:24.163 --> 00:03:28.395 Which means the better you feel emotionally after working out, 00:03:28.395 --> 00:03:31.111 the more likely you are to do it on a semi-regular basis. 00:03:31.111 --> 00:03:34.176 And then you'll recap all those other physical benefits too. 00:03:34.176 --> 00:03:40.008 Let's recap - everyone knows how exercise has all those of physical benefits. 00:03:40.008 --> 00:03:45.356 Well, Hi. Well here it Wellcast we focused only on 00:03:45.356 --> 00:03:48.821 the mental ones anyway you exercise for 30 minutes 00:03:48.821 --> 00:03:52.589 and then you wrote in your journal right off the bat 00:03:52.589 --> 00:03:53.836 you were probably pretty tired. 00:03:53.836 --> 00:03:55.735 But when you came back for another journaling session 00:03:55.735 --> 00:03:57.668 we want to know how you felt. 00:03:57.668 --> 00:04:00.766 Did you get any of that focus that all these studies boast about? 00:04:00.766 --> 00:04:06.232 What about after one week? Let us know how your exercise went. 00:04:06.232 --> 00:04:13.897 Tweet us @WatchWellcast. Email us at watchwellcast@gmail.com 00:04:13.897 --> 00:04:16.512 or leave a comment down below. 00:04:16.512 --> 00:04:18.295 We'll see you next time.