If you're looking for a mood lifter that will help you burn calories and improve your cardiovascular health, try exercise, say researchers in a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.

Eighty exercisers who had attended an exercise class on a regular basis for three months answered questions about their mood 15 minutes before exercise and immediately after completing a 60-minute aerobic dance class. Using the scores from the survey conducted before the class, the exercisers were classified as either not depressed or having depressed mood.

In both groups anger, confusion, fatigue and tension were significantly reduced, and these reductions were greatest in the group that had depressed mood before the class began.

This study supports other recent research that exercise improves mood, especially if you're feeling down before working out. Although regular exercise can make you feel great and lift your spirits, there are some symptoms of depression that you shouldn't ignore. If you've experienced feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, a loss of energy and motivation that makes even the simplest tasks or decisions seem difficult, changes in sleep patterns or thoughts about self-harm for more than two weeks, talk to a psychologist, psychiatrist or counselor for help.

Related information Other benefits of exercise

Sources:  Lane AM, Lovejoy DJ. The effects of exercise on mood changes: the moderating effect of depressed mood. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2001 Dec;41(4):539-45.