图片：5种提高情绪的运动 5 mood boosting workouts

 

 

想要活跃起来，平静下来，或使头脑更清晰，感觉更幸福？有不少简单又实用的运动能达到这些效果。

想要感觉更满足，试试瑜伽

瑜伽

有点沮丧吗？用“小狗望月”式。2010年的一项发表在《替代和补充医学》杂志上的研究测量了一星期练3次，每次1小时瑜伽的人的焦虑水平。 这项研究的第一作者，精神病医师和心理医师克里斯?斯特里特（Chris Streeter）发现，瑜伽能增加GABA（γ-氨基丁酸）水平，这种神经递质可以减少焦虑。根据印度Nijalingappa生理医学院Anita Herur助理教授研究，深而慢的瑜伽呼吸还能使你吸入更多氧气，这会使你全身器官保持最佳状态，包括你的大脑。另一个2010年由Herur发表在印度《医学科学》杂志上的研究则着眼于瑜伽的物理效应与瑜伽初学者情绪改变的关系。研究人员发现，副交感神经——能促进人体放松的神经系统——能加速运转，开始练瑜伽3个月后就能有所体现。

怎样付诸行动：如果你是一位瑜伽新手，你要做的第一步应该是学会正确的呼吸。一位在格鲁吉亚的玛丽埃塔拥有自己瑜珈室的瑜伽教师的建议是用鼻子吸气5秒，保持2秒钟，然后再通过鼻子呼出5秒，放空肺部，这样重复5次。 现在你已经准备好合并呼吸运动。找一个初级班，请一个有执业资格的教练。如果你喜欢在家里练习，即使每天在家里做10分钟，将来也可以练得很好。关键是要坚持。

想要更好的睡眠，试试普拉提

普拉提

人们经常说自己睡得不好，因为你在感到有压力的时候很难放松，保证良好的睡眠。但现在有一个很好的办法，最近发表的的来自北卡罗来纳的阿帕拉契州立大学的研究发现，练习普拉提能使人得到更好的睡眠。普拉提是由减肥先驱者约瑟夫?普拉提（Joseph H. Pilates）在1920年发展出来的，是需要在垫子或健身设备上完成的一系列主要提高腰腹部力量的动作。在垫子上每周做两次，每次75分钟，或是每周三次，每次50分钟，持续15周，就不再睡不好了。这种睡眠质量的提高可能与身体意识的增强有关，这项研究的第一作者凯伦?考德威尔（Karen Caldwell）博士说 ，有一种理论认为，你和自己身体越和谐，你越容易释放压力。

怎样付诸行动：纽约的专业普拉提教练建议你开始阅读约瑟夫?普拉提的书，《用控制学回归生活》（Return to Life Through Contrology ）(30美元，亚马逊有售)，这是本方法全面的手册。如果你准备开始学习，需要在健身房报一个训练班。课程每次通常要持续一个小时。如果想要明显的效果，最好一周三次。

想要增加能量,试试骑单车

骑单车

当你骑车时，你不只是在踩轮子，即使你并没有骑到环法自行车赛的长度。佐治亚大学（UGA）的研究人员发现，骑了 30分钟的固定自行车后，受试者的能量水平提高了。此外，研究还记录了受试者的大脑中与能量相关的积极的电流变化（测量脑电图）。“骑自行车似乎激活了大脑的神经电路，使人感觉精力充沛。”UGA的运动学教授帕特里克?奥康纳（Patrick O’Connor）说。而多伦多临床和运动心理学家凯特F?海斯（Kate F. Hays）博士告诉我们，“人们一般认为体育活动累人，但是事实上体育运动能为我们的生活增加能量。”

怎样付诸行动：尽管骑一次自行车也能给你增加不少活力，但要获得持续的效果，应该 “用慢速到中度骑固定自行车，每周3次，每次15分钟,”佐治亚罗斯威尔的单车教练建议。这将给你提供获得持续能量所需要的刺激。不要只在健身房运动，研究表明，任何一种运动在户外做所激发的能量都高于室内。

想要思维更清晰，试试哑铃

举哑铃

举哑铃这个运动无疑能强健你的三角肌，但它对你的“脑力肌肉”也同样有效。发表在2010年11月的《临床和实验神经心理学》（Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology）的一项研究发现，对老年人来说，简单的、低强度的哑铃练习，一个星期做3到5次，连续一个月后，其认知测试的成绩比没有举哑铃的对照组明显要好。特别是执行能力，哑铃训练组有很大的提高，包括制定计划的能力，规范行为和多任务。2010年的一项发表在《国际内科医学文献》（Archives of Internal Medicine）中的研究发现 ，每周做一次或两次长达一个小时的哑铃练习，持续一年，有效地提高了受试者的注意力，并能帮助他们在智力挑战测试中做出正确的选择。根据英国哥伦比亚大学的助理教授，这次研究的发起者Teresa Liu-Ambrose博士介绍，在这项研究中，受试者开始时一次做两套，每套重复举8次，一旦能够做到超过8次，再逐渐增加重量并保持适当的姿势。研究人员同时还研究脑力和肌肉的联系，他们找到了可能的领域，神经生长因子。这些生长因子能帮助大脑产生新的神经元，甚至在以后的生活中，也能增加已有神经元的灵活性。

怎样付诸行动：初学者可以试着每星期进行3次，保持3个星期，需要一把椅子和一些3-5磅（1.35-2.25千克）重的哑铃。 最后一组应该增加挑战，如果太容易，要么应该增加重量，或选择在当地一家健身班。每隔一天需休息一天，这样可以让你的肌肉得到休息。

想要减缓压力，试试太极

太极

最近的研究表明，最好的减压手段是太极，这是一个很流行的中国古老武术。它本质上是一种运动和静止的组合。事实上太极和减少压力的联系有两个不同的研究，一个发表在《英国体育医学》上，另一个在《美国大学健康杂志》上。在太极运动中，你需要反复将你身体的重量来回移动，这样可以让你全身的肌肉得到运动，还可以让你使用有节奏的呼吸。因为运动缓慢而流畅，可以使你的肌肉得到放松，使你的心情平静下来，同时改善你的平衡、力量和灵活性。无论你是否相信你自己的力量，心理学家凯特·海斯认为，太极圆润的速度和精确的动作能使你集中心思，并提醒你行动更缓慢一些。

怎样付诸行动：刚开始学太极？可以考虑考虑在家通过DVD学习些基本动作，为了最好的效果，可以在每天清晨练习太极20分钟。

 

5 Mood-Boosting Workouts

By Tori Rodriguez

Whether you want to perk up, calm down, feel sharper, or just get happier, there’s a mind-altering routine for you. 

To Feel More Content, Try Yoga

 

The science: A little down? Assume upward dog. A 2010 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine examined the anxiety levels and moods of people who practiced yoga for an hour three times a week. Yoga practice is associated with increased levels of GABA, an amino acid and neurotransmitter that may help reduce anxiety, according to Chris Streeter, a neurologist, a psychiatrist, and the lead author of the study. Also, slow, deep yogic breathing increases oxygen flow, which leads to optimal functioning of all your organs—including your brain, according to Anita Herur, M.D., an assistant professor of physiology at S. Nijalingappa Medical College, in India. Another 2010 study, published in the Al Ameen Journal of Medical Sciences, led by Herur, looked at the physical effects of yoga on new practitioners and linked the practice to improved overall mood. The researchers found that in the study’s subjects the parasympathetic nervous system—the part of the nervous system that promotes relaxation—kicked into high gear “around three months after starting yoga,” says Herur.

How to put it into practice: If you’re new to yoga, your first step should be to learn correct breathing, says Lynn Louise Wonders, a yoga teacher and the owner of the Yoga Room, in Marietta, Georgia. Wonders advises, “Breathe in through your nose to the count of five. Hold for two counts, then exhale through your nose to the count of five, emptying your lungs completely.” Repeat five times. Now you’re ready to merge the breathing with movement. Look for a beginner’s class with a qualified instructor (find a studio through the Yoga Alliance Registry; yogaalliance.org). If you prefer to practice at home, check out Shiva Rea’s Flow Yoga for Beginners ($15, amazon.com). Aim to take one 60-minute class a week. But even 10 minutes done every day at home may improve your outlook. The key is consistency.

To Sleep Better, Try Pilates

 

The science: People who report sleep problems are sometimes just having a hard time relaxing, since good sleep is difficult to achieve when you’re stressed and can’t wind down. But there’s a promising fix: Recently published research from Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina, found that practicing Pilates was associated with better snoozing. For the uninitiated, Pilates, developed by fitness pioneer Joseph H. Pilates in the 1920s, is a system of core-strengthening moves done on a mat or an apparatus called a Reformer. Study participants who did Pilates on a mat twice weekly for 75 minutes or three times a week for 50 minutes, for 15 weeks, were less likely to experience troubled sleep. These sleep improvements may be linked to an increased bodily awareness, says Karen Caldwell, Ph.D., the lead researcher of the study. One theory holds that when you’re more in tune with yourself, you’re better able to let go of stress and feel relaxed.

How to put it into practice: Alycea Ungaro, the owner of the Real Pilates Studio, in New York City, suggests that you get started by reading Joseph Pilates’s book, Return to Life Through Contrology ($30, amazon.com). She describes it as the method’s most comprehensive manual. When you’re ready to get moving, try taking mat classes at a gym (Crunch, Gold’s Gym, Life Time Fitness, and others offer them). Classes usually last an hour. For noticeable results, try to go three times a week.

To Increase Your Energy, Try Cycling

 

The science: When you spin your wheels, you’re not just spinning your wheels—even if your bike rides aren’t Tour de France length. Researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens (UGA) found that after a single 30-minute session of stationary cycling, subjects reported a boost in their energy levels. In addition, the authors of the study were able to record positive electrical changes in the subjects’ brains related to energy (the measurements were taken by an electroencephalogram). “The cycling seemed to activate brain neural circuits that make a person feel energized,” says Patrick O’Connor, a professor of kinesiology at UGA. “We tend to think of physical activity as being tiring, but in fact physical activity adds energy to our lives,” says Kate F. Hays, Ph.D., a clinical and sport psychologist in Toronto.

How to put it into practice: Although a single session of cycling will put some pep in your step, for lasting results, try cycling “at a light to moderate pace on a stationary bike for 15 minutes three times a week,” says Rick Mayo, a cycling instructor and the owner of North Point Personal Training, in Roswell, Georgia. This will provide the stimulus needed for a consistent increase in energy. And don’t limit your workouts to the gym. Research shows that any kind of exercise done outdoors may boost energy more than indoor activity does.

To Achieve Clarity, Try Weights

 

The science: Lifting dumbbells is obviously great for toning your triceps, but it does the same for your mental muscles. In a November 2010 study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, older adults who did simple, low-intensity weight-training exercises three to five times a week for one month performed significantly better on cognitive tests than did the control group, which did no weight training. Specifically, the weight-training group improved in executive function, which includes the ability to plan, regulate behavior, and multitask, says Cay Anderson-Hanley, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of psychology at Union College, in Schenectady, New York. A 2010 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that one-hour sessions of weight training, done once or twice a week for a year, increased participants’ ability to focus their attention and make the right choice on a challenging brain test, according to lead author Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of physical therapy at the University of British Columbia. In this study, participants started with two sets of eight repetitions and increased the weight load once they could handle more than eight reps while maintaining proper form. While researchers are still examining why the mind-muscle connection exists, one area they’re exploring is growth factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic growth factors. These growth factors help the brain generate new neurons, even later in life, and help increase the flexibility of existing ones.

How to put it into practice: Beginners can try three weekly sessions, each including three sets of the exercises used in Anderson-Hanley’s study (which can be found on the National Institutes of Health website, nihseniorhealth.gov). “All you need is a chair and some three- to five-pound weights,” she says. The last set of reps should be a challenge. If it’s too easy, either increase the weight or try a body-sculpting class at a local gym or a DVD (like Step-by-Step Strength Training, With Petra Kolber, $10, amazon.com). Skip a day between workouts so your muscles have some time to rest.

 

To Reduce Stress, Try Tai Chi

The science: Recent studies have shown the stress-busting benefits of Tai Chi, a popular form of an ancient Chinese martial art that is essentially a combination of movements and positions that flow into one another. In fact, Tai Chi was linked to reduced stress in two separate studies last year—one in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and the other in the Journal of American College Health. In Tai Chi, which is traditionally done in a standing position, you repeatedly shift your weight back and forth, engaging the muscles in both your upper and lower body, as well as employing rhythmic breathing. Because the shifts are slow and fluid, they relax your muscles and calm your mind while improving your balance, strength, and flexibility. This “meditation in motion,” as it is sometimes called, is said to stimulate the body’s flow of what the Chinese refer to as Chi (pronounced chee), or life force. Whether or not you believe the force is with you, psychologist Kate Hays theorizes that Tai Chi’s mellow pace and precise actions focus the mind and serve as a reminder to take things more slowly.

How to put it into practice: New to Tai Chi? Consider learning the basic series of movements at home with a DVD, such as Tai Chi Beginning Practice DVD, With David-Dorian Ross ($15, gaiam.com). Seek out more advanced study with a teacher (listings are available for some U.S. states at taichifoundation.org). For maximum benefits, strive to practice for up to 20 minutes every morning.

 

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