You might have heard about the rush of endorphins that flood through your system after a long run or a nice sweaty gym session. Your brain floods your body with endorphins when you engage in certain activities that are associated with pleasure, like eating chocolate (via Healthline). Endorphins are also released to help you cope with pain, as they have similar effects to that of morphine, per WebMD. Beyond basic pleasure and pain, endorphins can also help lessen stress, give a boost to your immune system, improve your memory and brain health, decrease inflammation, and increase your self-esteem (via Healthline).
While exercise is a great way to get your endorphin fix, it’s not the only option. According to Verywell Mind, dancing, listening to music, getting a massage, laughing, meditation, and socializing are all avenues that may trigger a rush of endorphins as well. Research has shown that you can also achieve a flood of feel-good chemicals by way of your endocannabinoid system, MindBodyGreen reports.
Achieving a post-exercise buzz without the exercise
Your endocannabinoid system, or ECS, is best described as a communication network made up of cells and cell receptors throughout your system, per Healthline. Naturally created by your body, endocannabinoids have been known to help alleviate pain, support healthy digestion, regulate your immune system, boost your mood, and aid in sleep quality (via Healthline).
Endocannabinoids may also be the true reason behind the infamous “runner’s high.” Research has shown that this blissed-out feeling you can get may have to do more with the endocannabinoids that flood your system during a workout rather than endorphins (via MindBodyGreen). According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, because endocannabinoids can more easily pass into your brain from your bloodstream, they are the likely reason behind the boost in your mood after exercise whereas your endorphins are more likely responsible for alleviating pain.
If you’re not able to get to the gym, however, you can still flood your system with some feel-good endocannabinoids. According to MindBodyGreen, cannabinoids, found in cannabis and hemp plants, attach to the receptors within your ECS, giving you the same flood of euphoria that a hard workout provides. Hemp extracts and supplements, in particular, can give you that blissed-out feeling without the mind-altering effects that the THC in marijuana can bring, per MindBodyGreen.
