Work Out and Be Happy

Sweat for a moment, then back in the good feeling for hours. That's the message of a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's recent annual meeting. The study suggests that the mood benefits of exercise last up to 12 times longer than previously believed.

Earlier research had found that a workout's feel-good effects last about an hour - not much longer than it takes the sweat to dry.

But in the University of Vermont research, after men and women pedalled for 20 minutes on a stationary bike, questionnaires showed their moods remained buoyed for about half a day, whether they were fitness fiends or just venturing off the couch for the first time, says researcher Jeremy Sibold.