The Brain-Boosting Benefits of Spring

Finally, it is spring.  

After what seems like an extremely harsh winter for most of the country, the warming weather feels as if we are welcoming an old friend. 

As the weather grows warm, we can go back outside and take walks, hike, or work in our gardens. One can’t help but get elated when stepping outside and feeling the warmth of the sun on our faces. As it turns out, there might be more going on there than we realize. 

It’s no secret that exercise makes us feel much better, in both mind and body. But as it turns out, when you combine movement with the great outdoors, you’ve got a special mix for your brain. For those who battle with depression, this particular mix can almost work as a natural antidepressant. 

For starters, exercise stimulates the brain to create endorphins. Endorphins are feel-good brain chemicals. Have you ever heard of people who run mentioning a “runner’s high”? That high is endorphins in action. 


But what does that have to do with spring and warmer weather? A lot.


When spring arrives, we naturally begin to move more, and when we move more, our brains start producing more endorphins. Mix that with the benefit of being outside in the sun, and you’ve got one happy brain. 


But do you have to go for a run to get the benefits of exercise on the brain? 

It turns out that is not the case. A study conducted by Dr. Jim Blumenthal at Duke University found that patients who just took a brisk half-hour walk three times a week still got the beneficial brain effects that can even help fight depression. Even more remarkable is what Dr. Illari points out, “…this remarkably low ‘dose’ of exercise proved to be more effective than Zoloft in the majority of patients.”


Now, that is not to say that if you are someone who does take an antidepressant that you can just stop and head outdoors for a walk. Instead, it is to say that mixing the brain benefits of exercise with getting outside more can have resounding effects on your overall brain health, even when done in small doses. 


But if you aren’t someone who deals with depression, you can still be prone to “the winter blues.” Because in winter, when temperatures are colder, we are exposed less to the sun than we are during the rest of the year. The sun is linked to serotonin production in the brain, and the decreased sun exposure in winter is linked to decreased serotonin. Serotonin is the chemical that is responsible for our mood and sense of well-being. Thus, when levels are low, we don’t feel so great, aka “blue.” 

That’s why it is so important to get outside and just do something. Yes, going to the gym and getting an entire workout is excellent and has a ton of brain and mood-boosting benefits. But as we said, you don’t have to be a full-force gym-goer to get the brain benefits of exercise. And if you are someone who frequents the gym often, you still should go outside to gain the sun’s serotonin benefits. 

So go out into the garden and dig into the earth, walk in a local park, find your favorite hike; just get outside and enjoy the benefits of movement and sun. Your body and your brain will thank you for it. 


Welcome to spring.

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