Why endorphins (and exercise) make you happy

By Kristen Domonell, Daily Burn

Updated 1259 GMT (2059 HKT) January 13, 2016

Winter is here -- and so is the cold air that makes you want to snuggle up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa. Many let the season's wrath keep them from exercising outdoors, but winter sports can offer great full-body workouts. So put down the cocoa, bundle up and head outside to try a few of these fun activities.
Photos: Get in a workout this winter
Get in a workout this winter – Winter is here -- and so is the cold air that makes you want to snuggle up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa. Many let the season's wrath keep them from exercising outdoors, but winter sports can offer great full-body workouts. So put down the cocoa, bundle up and head outside to try a few of these fun activities.
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Release a few endorphins, improve your flexibility and work on major muscle groups in your legs -- such as hamstrings, calves and quads -- as you burn at least 450 calories an hour snowboarding or skiing. Studies show that outdoor exercise can also improve moods and reduce levels of anxiety.
Photos: Get in a workout this winter
Snowboarding or downhill skiing – Release a few endorphins, improve your flexibility and work on major muscle groups in your legs -- such as hamstrings, calves and quads -- as you burn at least 450 calories an hour snowboarding or skiing. Studies show that outdoor exercise can also improve moods and reduce levels of anxiety.
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Cross-country skiing works every major part of your body, including shoulders, arms, back, chest, abs, butt and legs. You also burn more calories than in any other sport, according to Neal Henderson, sports science director at Colorado's Boulder Center for Sports Medicine.
Photos: Get in a workout this winter
Cross-country skiing – Cross-country skiing works every major part of your body, including shoulders, arms, back, chest, abs, butt and legs. You also burn more calories than in any other sport, according to Neal Henderson, sports science director at Colorado's Boulder Center for Sports Medicine.
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Ice skating is one winter sport that you can do indoors or outdoors. It's a great aerobic workout that burns up to 20 calories per minute and helps strengthen your core as you try to balance on the thin blades. So trade in your sneakers for figure skates and hit the ice.
Photos: Get in a workout this winter
Ice skating – Ice skating is one winter sport that you can do indoors or outdoors. It's a great aerobic workout that burns up to 20 calories per minute and helps strengthen your core as you try to balance on the thin blades. So trade in your sneakers for figure skates and hit the ice.
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Looking for a cardio-intensive sport? Hockey is it. Studies show that hockey boosts mental strength and focus and burns at least 470 calories an hour. It also improves flexibility and provides some of the same health benefits as ice skating.
Photos: Get in a workout this winter
Hockey – Looking for a cardio-intensive sport? Hockey is it. Studies show that hockey boosts mental strength and focus and burns at least 470 calories an hour. It also improves flexibility and provides some of the same health benefits as ice skating.
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Sledding incorporates a great workout with some winter fun. Climbing to the top of a hill to sled back down is great for leg muscles and can burn up to 400 calories an hour. Don't forget to take the kids!
Photos: Get in a workout this winter
Sledding – Sledding incorporates a great workout with some winter fun. Climbing to the top of a hill to sled back down is great for leg muscles and can burn up to 400 calories an hour. Don't forget to take the kids!
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Shoveling snow may be a mundane task, but this winter activity is an aerobic exercise that burns up to 400 calories an hour. The heavier the snow, the more calories burned. But shoveling can be dangerous so be careful not to slip and fall.
Photos: Get in a workout this winter
Shoveling snow – Shoveling snow may be a mundane task, but this winter activity is an aerobic exercise that burns up to 400 calories an hour. The heavier the snow, the more calories burned. But shoveling can be dangerous so be careful not to slip and fall.
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Story highlights

  • When your body comes under stress or experiences pain, neurochemicals called endorphins are produced in the brain
  • Endorphins were discovered 40 years ago
  • Endorphins are considered natural painkillers because they activate opioid receptors in the brain that help minimize discomfort

If you've ever taken out a bad day at the office on the nearest treadmill, you know that working up a good sweat can easily turn your day around. And by now you've probably heard that endorphins are the magic bullet behind that post-workout bliss. People love the feeling so much that "endorphin junkie" has even become synonymous with someone who's constantly chasing that exercise high. But while endorphins may get all the credit for your post-run buzz, there's actually a lot more going on behind the scenes. Here's what you need to know about endorphins — and why you might not be an endorphin junkie after all.

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    What Are Endorphins?

      When your body comes under stress or experiences pain (hello, burpees), neurochemicals called endorphins are produced in the brain's hypothalamus and pituitary gland, explains J. Kip Matthews, Ph.D, a sport and exercise psychologist. Endorphins, which are structurally similar to the drug morphine, are considered natural painkillers because they activate opioid receptors in the brain that help minimize discomf