You get enough sleep, eat reasonably healthy, and yet something is missing. A kind of emptiness, or the feeling that your battery never fully recharges. You are more easily irritated than before, have less enthusiasm for things, and feel listless for no apparent reason. Sound familiar? Chances are your serotonin levels could use some attention. In this blog, Lisanne Bijnen, club manager of Happy Bodies Schijndel and co-owner of Happy Bodies Uden, explains what serotonin does, how to give it a natural boost, and why you can notice a difference within six weeks.
Serotonin is a substance in your body that ensures a good mood. It is therefore also called the happiness hormone. It plays a major role in your mood, your sleep pattern, your appetite, and even your ability to concentrate. When your serotonin levels are balanced, you feel calm, content, and energetic. If those levels are too low, you may feel listless, irritable, or gloomy.
The good news: you can influence your serotonin levels in a very natural way.
1. Exercise, the fastest way to increase your serotonin.
During physical exertion, your muscle tissue uses certain amino acids as fuel. As a result, tryptophan, the building block of serotonin, has more room to reach your brain. The result: your brain produces more serotonin. This explains why you often feel refreshed and clear-headed after a workout, even if you didn't feel like it beforehand. It is not my imagination; it is biochemistry.
2. Sunlight and time in nature.
Just fifteen minutes outside a day makes a difference. Daylight stimulates the production of serotonin through your eyes and skin. A walk during lunch or a cup of coffee in the garden is enough. During the winter months, when there is less daylight, many people notice that their mood drops. That is no coincidence.
3. Nutrition that helps.
Your body makes serotonin from tryptophan, a substance you get through your diet. Think of bananas, nuts, eggs, turkey, and whole-grain products. You don't need to follow a special diet; a varied diet with sufficient protein at lunch and dinner is already a good foundation. Those who want to know more about the relationship between diet and weight loss can read more about it in this blog.
4. Social connection.
Human contact increases your happiness hormones. A good conversation, laughing together, or simply having coffee with someone you like: it all releases serotonin. Those who exercise alone miss out on this effect. It is precisely in an environment where you see other people and are recognized that the social aspect reinforces the physical.
5. Sleep and rest.
Sufficient serotonin during the day ensures better sleep at night through the production of melatonin. This creates a positive spiral: you exercise, you produce serotonin, you sleep better, and you have more energy to exercise. Too little sleep breaks that spiral.
Your body needs time to build new habits. Six weeks is approximately the period your brain needs to feel the effects of regular exercise structurally. review study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2023), based on more than 1,000 previous studies, confirms that physical activity measurably reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. The effect occurs after just a few weeks of regular exercise.
With two training sessions every ten days, you build up enough in six weeks to notice a difference. Your sleep becomes deeper, your mood more stable, and your energy level rises.
After exercising, you feel lighter, even though your to-do list is still exactly the same. That traffic jam on the way home irritates you less. You have more patience with your children or colleagues. That annoying email you were dreading suddenly feels less heavy. You laugh at a joke more easily. That mountain of work is still piling up, but it overwhelms you less.
These are not big, spectacular changes. It is more subtle than that. You notice it because things that previously drained your energy affect you less. That is the serotonin effect.
Serotonin also influences your appetite. When your serotonin levels are balanced, you crave less sugar and snacks. You feel full sooner and make better choices. For those working on weight loss, this is a pleasant side effect.
At Happy Bodies, we combine strength training and cardio training in the Milon circuit. In 35 minutes, your body receives exactly the stimuli it needs to produce serotonin, endorphins, and BDNF (a substance that supports your brain). You train in a quiet environment, free from crowds or intimidation, and your coach provides personal guidance. After your workout, you join the coffee table, where you meet other members. This combination of exercise and social interaction enhances the effect.
Many of our members say that they notice a mental difference in addition to a physical one. They feel clearer, happier, and less stressed. If you are wondering if that would work for you too: read on how our approach also makes you physically stronger.
This blog is about improving your overall well-being through exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. It is not a substitute for professional help with depression or other mental health issues. Are you feeling down for an extended period or unable to resolve the situation on your own? Then contact your GP. There is nothing wrong with that; in fact, it is sensible.
Would you like to know more about how to stay fit and active by training twice for 35 minutes every ten days, under the guidance of your own personal lifestyle coach? Even if you have physical complaints? Then take the membership test and sign up for a free personal introductory meeting and tour of the club. We bet you'll be sold right away!
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