This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Dartmouth chapter.
Exercise causes a spike of adrenaline, producing endorphins. Endorphins are those wonderful critters that cause “runner’s high”, which helps you relieve stress, ease your pain, and improve your mood overall.
However, we don’t all have time to put in hours at the gym. So, here are ten easy exercises to boost your mood.
- Yoga. It doesn’t necessarily have to be yoga with goats (as was the recent craze) or putting you in crazy, body-twisting positions. Start with a simple yoga stretching routine, Beginner’s Yoga HERE.
- Go for a walk. YES, walking can be more than just getting from point A to point B. Walk around your home for thirty minutes. Walk around a pond. Walk with your pet dog/turtle/mini pig.
- Take the stairs. Every. Single. Time. Is there an escalator? Take the stairs. Elevator? Take the stairs? It’s a little way to put in exercise, but it adds up over time!
- Dance parties in your room. I can’t stress this enough. Jam out on air guitar. Pump up your favorite song and dance like nobody’s watching. OR, dance like everybody’s watching if you enjoy the spotlight. Pretend you know the entire routine to Swan Lake. There’s no right or wrong way to dance, so live it up!
- Be the best babysitter ever. Do you know toddler dance class is a thing? Well, it is. Little kids have boundless energy, especially if they’ve just had sugar (as Halloween attests). Babysit your little cousin/sibling and play every single princess/dragon/knight game they want to play. Their imaginations are as infinite as playtime. Don’t have a little cousin or sibling? No problem! Dog-sit or cat-sit. They’re the descendants of giant wildcats and wolves, prime hunters that can run circles around rabbits. In summary. They. Are. Fast.
- Do you like comfy chairs? WONDERFUL! You don’t even have to leave your couch potato badge behind to get a workout in. Check out these chair exercises HERE.
- Stand up if you’re confined to a desk. Sitting down for long periods of time isn’t good for your heart. Get your blood pumping every so often, or if you can, work at a standing desk.
- Work out during TV advertisements! Do pushups, crunches, or situps as your favorite fast food jingle runs on the television. Or that ad that pops up as you’re binge-watching shows. Your choice.
- Deep-clean the house. Yes, going up and down hallways with a broom, carrying heavy boxes, and scrubbing the bathroom floor burns calories. AND it keeps you from getting featured on some hoarding TV show. What a bonus!
- Make your workout fun. Do something unusual. Sign up for kickboxing if you’re aiming to join the Avengers squad. Take a bike ride or pick up a skateboard. Jump on a trampoline, play a pick-up game at the next family picnic. Treat yourself for a swim at the beach if you’re lucky enough to live in an area near them.
At the end of the day, workouts can be more than just a time-slot in your routine. Switch them up, challenge yourself. Want to climb a mountain? Start with some hills. Want to run a marathon? Start running laps around your house. Try playing some inspirational workout music, whether you want to work out like a superhero or a rap god, and I guarantee it’ll get easier. You’ll be a fitspo expert in no time!