A Mental Workout

Exercise releases "hope molecules" into the bloodstream

- Karen Robock

I’VE JOGGED through postpartum depression (twice), relied on Pilates classes to help me stretch during stressful times in life and I often go for a walk after a particularly bad day. So it’s no surprise to me that there’s a link between exercise and mental health. But scientists have now made it official: research has found a direct connection between movement and mood.

Each time you work up a sweat, your body releases feel-good neurotransmitters, or “happy hormones,” including endorphins, dopamine and endocannabinoids, the latter being responsible for the so-called runner’s high. Now researchers are also pointing to myokines—dubbed “hope molecules”—as an important contributor to the mental health benefits of exercise.

When our muscles contract, chains of amino acids called myokines are released into the bloodstream; they help your muscles and organs communicate. Researchers are looking into the effect of myokines on the brain. They think this communication increases resilience to stress, reduces symptoms of trauma and anxiety and have a direct effect on depression. A 2021 review published in Neuropharmacology showed evidence that myokines boost brain function (eg, improving memory and mood).