fitness

5 exercises that will boost your mood

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It’s not often we turn to Legally Blonde‘s Elle Woods for wisdom. But when it comes to the benefits of exercise, Elle’s got it nailed (okay, so we’ll refrain from commenting on the husbands part…):

Right on.

Exercising prompts your body to produce chemicals, like serotonin, that make you feel good. So even though dragging your sorry self out of bed at 6am to run is enough to give you the grumbles, we promise you'll be feeling a whole lot happier afterwards. You don't have to work out for hours on end, either - just twenty minutes of exercise per day is enough to get the serotonin pumping and boost your mood.

"Short bursts of vigorous exercise allows your body to release endorphins and lifts your mood - which in turn helps boost productivity all day," says Jason Gillespie, personal trainer from Jetts Fitness.

Here are 5 exercises you can do to hit that endorphin high and kick the blues. Jason recommends doing them in a circuit to keep your heart rate high - 30 seconds each exercise for 2 rounds with 45 seconds rest between each. Let's go...

To cool down, walk for 5-10 minutes to lower your heart rate and help get rid of lactic acid. Try to walk outdoors in the sun if possible - studies show that the brain produces more serotonin when exposed to the sun.

What's your favourite way to exercise?

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