When it comes to exercise, there is one fact that tends to be repeated time and again: exercise provides an endorphin rush. This fact can be found across the web, tying together a feeling of joyous exhilaration with a workout, and suggesting that this “rush” is obtainable by anyone who chooses to work out.
Exercise endorphins: the expectation
For those new to exercise, the promise of an endorphin rush will always be tempting. This rush, so we’re led to believe, can be intense enough to encourage you to keep working out over a period of time, helping to fuel your motivation and ensuring that while your fitness activities might be hard work, you’ll come to love them thanks to those oh-so-wonderful endorphins.
In fact, the promise of endorphins can be particularly tempting for those who are considering starting an exercise regime – or becoming more focused on their existing one, perhaps with the help of a personal trainer – in order to avail of mental and emotional well-being benefits. The idea that working out is a passport to a feel-good factor is hugely attractive, and can help to motivate people to work on their fitness in order to achieve multifold benefits.
Exercise endorphins: the reality
First, let’s be clear: exercise does release endorphins, and many people do experience an enjoyable rush of happiness and excitement when exercising. Endorphins definitely aren’t a myth that we’re here to bust: they’re real.
However, the fact that exercising releases endorphins does not necessarily mean that everyone will be able to enjoy the impact endorphins offer. In fact, some people don’t feel an endorphin rush at all when exercising – and this group is perhaps larger than the constant focus on endorphins in dialogue relating to exercise would have you believe. It’s also worth noting that the experience of endorphins is not consistent amongst an individual, either: some will feel an endorphin rush every time they work out, whereas for others, it will only be sporadic.
What does this mean for you?
It is perhaps helpful to reframe your thinking when it comes to the idea that exercise automatically results in a pleasant endorphin rush. Instead of seeing that rush as a given, see it as a potential bonus – something that might happen, and is great if it does, but not something that you expect.
If you find the idea that endorphins aren’t going to give you that well-being boost a little disheartening, then it’s worth affirming the other benefits of working out to yourself. Your base physical fitness will improve, which can lead to weight management and the prevention of a number of conditions. You will likely also see an improvement in your mood and well-being from working out; improvements that can be enhanced by choosing to work with a personal trainer to improve your mental health and ensure you get the most out of every single work out. Last but not least, there’s also the social aspect of getting and staying fit; making friends at the gym and in exercise classes, finding supportive communities online, spending time with a workout buddy, and so on.
If you focus on these key positives, then an endorphin rush can morph from an expectation to a welcome surprise visitor – which means you also avoid a scenario where you’re somehow disappointed by a workout, just because you didn’t feel that “rush”. Working out and keeping active should always have positive associations, so protecting against a disappointment will definitely stand you in good stead in the long run.
In conclusion
Exercise can release endorphins that create feelings of happiness or a “rush” of positive feelings, but these are far from guaranteed. Thankfully, there’s still countless reasons to work on your fitness, so even without endorphins, you’ll still feel the benefits across all aspects of your life and well-being.
