I just ran across an interesting study on the emotional benefits of exercise. As anyone who works out on a regular basis knows, exercise can improve your mood. But did you know that the immediate benefit can last for upwards of 12 hours?
That’s the conclusion of a study out of the University of Vermont, where researchers found that just 20 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise can have a significant positive impact on your mood for at least 12 hours after you complete your workout. After 24 hours, there was no detectable effect.
According to Jeremy Sibold, lead author of the study:
“There are other studies that show there is acute improvement in mood after exercise, but we found those improvements are more durable than we thought… Daily exercise can improve your mood and mitigate some of the stressors of your day. It’s clear that exercise is critical for both physical health and mental health.”
Interestingly, this mood-ehancing effect disappeared after 24 hours. In other words… If you’ve been looking for a reason to exercise on a daily basis, you now have one. 
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