[enraged_camel]

I'm annoyed that the study does not go into details about what the "physical activity" consisted of. The only thing it says is "self reported level of physical activity (≤1, 2-3, ≥4 days per week, with at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity)" which does not mean much.

Anecdotally speaking, lifting heavy weights vastly improves my mood. This is in contrast to, say, cardio, which simply makes me feel tired. I wish the study had accounted for this too.

[cglace]

I agree. I always feel great after a heavy set of power cleans or deadlift.

[Xcelerate]

Interesting; I usually feel tired after a bunch of weight-lifting but invigorated after a long hard run.

[sliverstorm]

The key, I find, is that you have to be on a schedule of lifting; for the first few times, you feel pretty crummy after.

[4r10r5]

having a schedule and pushing yourself as hard as you can is probably the point. When you lift you are pushing yourself. When I run hard for 30 minutes I am pushing myself. It is pure self motivation. Why would you not feel good after that? At the very minimum you are helping to sustain a certain mental focus. Additionally, if you think about CBT and how that is used to treat depression it is easy, in my mind, to glean how thinking about your thinking for good, particularly during exercise can be a positive on your mental health. I know when I am 22 minutes I am thinking a lot of positive thoughts about making it to the end and that I am strong enough to finish. This shit is CBT.

[cglace]

Right, once I got on a schedule I felt pretty bad when I didn't get in my daily lift.