Just 7 minutes.

Exercise releases endorphins that tend to minimize the discomfort of exercises, helps reduce pain and stimulates a feeling of euphoria.

Gretchen Reynolds in her book The First 20 Minutes said that simply being more active for short periods of time is a no-cost way to guard against future neurological diseases as well as depression.

Shawn Achor, author of the book The Happiness Advantage cited a study in which three groups of patients treated their depression with either medication, no medication or a combination of both.

Of those who had taken the medication alone, 38% regressed back into depression when tested again after six months.

Those who used a combination of medicine and exercise did a little better with a 31% relapse rate.

But the big surprise was that the test group that only did exercise (no medication) to deal with their depression had a relapse rate of only 9%.

That’s if you’re depressed.

If you’re not, the benefits of even a minimal amount of increased activity are still there.

Doctors say there are more anti-depressants prescribed today than ever before and yet the rate of depression is higher than ever before.

20 minutes of exercise 4-5 times a week on a bike, treadmill, running or walking can increase happiness.

But even a few minutes of exercise results in an increased feeling of well-being.

Best yet, exercise is covered by all insurance companies, Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare.

In other words, it costs you nothing and requires only the investment of your time.

Choose to be more active and pro-active, it can make a difference in how you feel – Jerry

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