I have known about the physical benefits of exercising for decades. They include reducing the chances of heart disease and diabetes. I think what I appreciate equally as much, if not more, are the mental and emotional benefits of being active each day.

In a May 2013 Harvard Health Publications article, exercise is credited with helping to stop “brain fog” or frequent occurrences of forgetfulness. Dr. John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School says, “There’s a lot you can do to prevent cognitive decline or slow it down, or recover memory function that you might feel you have lost.” One key action to take is regular, moderately intense exercise. It helps maintain healthy blood pressure, improve energy, elevate mood, reduce stress and anxiety, all of which contribute to brain health.

According to the same Harvard article, exercise also stimulates brain areas that are involved in memory function to release a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF requires memory circuits to improve their performance. “When you exercise and move around, you are using more brain cells,” says Dr. Ratey. This increases learning capabilities.

Another benefit of exercise is improved mood. It helps combat depression. Dr. Ratey says, “If everyone knew that exercise worked as well as Zoloft, I think we could put a real dent in the disease.” In Great Britain, doctors now use exercise as the first-line of treatment for depression. This prescription is underutilized in the United States, however. Exercise elevates endorphins which contribute to the general feeling of well-being. It also increases our body and brain levels of endocannabinoids and BDNF and regulates all of the neurotransmitters targeted by antidepressants.

In addition, exercise immediately elevates levels of norepinephrine in certain areas of the brain. This wakes up the brain and improves self-esteem. Exercise boosts dopamine which improves mood, motivation, happiness and attention. And serotonin, which is important for mood, impulse control and self-esteem, is also affected by exercise.

Key takeaways are if you want to improve mental clarity and memory, reduce depression, elevate your mood, self-esteem and feelings of well being, do so with regular moderately intense exercise. I begin every morning with exercise and it makes a huge difference my life. Join me and others in using daily exercise to actively improve our mental capacity, lift our mood and create a stronger mindset.