Over the last several years, I’ve slipped in and out of low-level depression, and my mood hasn’t always been fully optimized.
What I’ve figured out is that my mood does better when I add real cardio on top of lifting and walking.
You can build an amazing physique with proper lifting, proper calories, and a high step count. But if you want that blissful, clear state afterward, you need some cardio too.
For me, that means zone 2.
When I used to play hockey, after an amazing game, I just felt so good, so clean. It’s like the body needs this type of exercise, and this was something I didn’t really prioritize before.
What’s Actually Happening in Your Brain
For a long time, the explanation was endorphins.
Newer research points somewhere else. Endorphins are large molecules that don’t easily cross from your blood into your brain, and in one human study, blocking them didn’t stop the good feeling [1].
What does seem to matter is your endocannabinoid system. Those are the same receptors THC acts on, except your body makes its own version.
The best known one is anandamide, nicknamed the “bliss molecule”.
In a study of 63 people, 45 minutes of moderate running raised anandamide and left them feeling more euphoric and less anxious [1]. In mice, blocking the cannabinoid receptor took away the calming effect of running, while blocking the opioid receptors didn’t [2].
Researchers are still working to prove all of this in humans, so I’d call it strongly linked rather than settled. It lines up with what I feel, though.
Why Intensity Matters
In another study, anandamide went up after 30 minutes on a treadmill at around 70 to 80% of max heart rate [3].
It did NOT rise with easy walking or very hard running.
Back when I did track work and pushed endurance training as hard as I could, I didn’t feel that great. Those workouts were brutal, I finished out of breath and wiped, and I never really got that full euphoria.
The sweet spot for me is the zone 2 to zone 3 range.
Thirty minutes at 65% to 75% of max heart rate is perfect. Even three or four days a week feels great, and you can go up to 40 minutes if you want.
*I go as high as 150 minutes per week, but not much beyond that.
Here’s Exactly What I Do
A typical session looks like this:
- 15 to 20 minutes on the StairMaster at levels 8 to 10
- 15 minutes of incline walking on the treadmill at 2.8-3 miles per hour. I play around with the incline somewhere between 5-10. Occasionally, I will drop the speed down to 2.2-2.4 and raise the incline to max and walk backward (great for the knees). I always hold the side rails for safety.
- Heart rate between 65% and 75% the whole time
Then I get this nice, clean, euphoric boost.
Humans are meant to move.
For me, it’s become one of the best parts of my week.
I lift, I walk, and I do my zone 2, and it’s made a real difference in how I feel.
Talk soon,
Greg O’Gallagher
P.S.
In the past, a lot of cardio just made me hungrier, so I’d end up eating back what I burned.
With a tirzepatide microdose from Kino Clinic, I get that clean, blissful feeling from cardio without the extra hunger.
That’s what finally made cardio stick for me.
Kino Clinic works exclusively with licensed 503A compounding pharmacies to provide physician-prescribed, pharmacy-grade compounded Tirzepatide. All medications are prescribed by licensed physicians for individually identified patients based on documented clinical need. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved finished drug products and are not intended as substitutes for FDA-approved medications such as Mounjaro® or Zepbound®. Individual results vary. This is not medical advice. Use only under the supervision of a licensed healthcare provider.
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