Want more tips and tricks for reaching your health goals? Join Lark!

Take our 2-minute survey to find out if you’re eligible to join Lark which includes a smart scale and the chance to earn a Fitbit®.
Start now
*Terms and conditions apply
Close icon

Interested in more health & wellness content from Lark? Let’s stay in touch.

Sign up below for more information from Lark
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Close icon
< Back to Resource Center
< Back to Member Blog

Why Your Workout Can Make You Happy

Natalie
Stein
October 6, 2023
Why Your Workout Can Make You Happy - Lark Health
Lark

Are you at risk of prediabetes?

Lark can help lower your risk for Type 2 Diabetes through healthy habit formation, and data tracking.
Height: 5 ft 4 in
4' 0"
7' 0"
Weight: 160 lbs
90 lbs
500 lbs
LOW RISK
Risk Level
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

What could 15% weight loss mean for you?

Feel more energetic and significantly reduce your risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

By clicking the button above, you agree to the Lark Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, and SMS Terms.

Current Weight: 250 lbs
120 lbs
500 lbs
Your weight loss could be*
- - lbs
Your new weight: -- lbs
Am I eligible?

By clicking the button above, you agree to the Lark Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, and SMS Terms.

*Results may vary. Based on the average weight loss in three, 68-week clinical trials of patients without diabetes who reached and maintained a dose of 2.4mg/week of GLP-1 treatment, along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. View study here.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

You may already know that getting active is an important part of a diabetes prevention plan. People who hit a goal of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity can lower their risk for type 2 diabetes by one-third or more. Benefits such as losing weight and lowering diabetes risk are, without a doubt, behind the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)’s focus on physical activity.

Some of the other benefits of exercise are:

  • Lower risk for heart disease.
  • Reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase “good” HDL cholesterol.
  • Lower blood pressure and reduce stroke risk.
  • Increased strength.
  • Better muscle tone.
  • Lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease and certain cancers.
  • Gain new skills and achieve goals.

These are important and real benefits, but they take a while to achieve. It can take anywhere from days or months to learn a new skill or achieve a fitness goal, to years or decades to prevent Alzheimer’s or cancer. Furthermore, how do you even know if your exercise prevented a disease or delayed its onset?

Not having immediate results can make it harder to get motivated to get active, but as Lark DPP may have pointed out in a recent check-in, there are plenty of immediate results from working out that can motivate you to get moving – now! Levels of hormones and other chemicals in your body change when you exercise so you can feel the benefits as soon as you work out. These can include:

  • Better mood.
  • Sharper focus.
  • Better sleep quality.
  • Increased energy.
  • More confidence.

Exercise and Chemical Changes

Exercise affects various natural compounds in your body. Unlike with chronic disease risk, you can feel the effects of chemical changes after a single workout. How is that for instant gratification?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or a chemical in your brain that helps send signals. Activity increases dopamine levels with results including increased feelings of happiness and possible reduced hunger.

Serotonin is another “well-being” chemical that is increased with exercise. Serotonin is linked to better sleep, clearer focus, and increased energy during the day. Who would not want that benefit after a good workout?

Have you ever heard of a runner’s high? That is the good feeling that athletes such as distance runners get when they have a good workout, and it results from increases in endorphins. These natural chemicals make you feel happier, almost like being on a high, but without any harmful drugs.

Doesn’t Exercise Make You Tired?

Exercise can make you breathless and make your muscles burn. Should you worry that being physically active will mean that you will be too tired to make it through the rest of your daily activities? Not at all! Quite the opposite is true.

To be sure, exercise can tire you out temporarily. A single hard workout can be exhausting if you are not used to that activity or intensity. You may need a nap or feel muscle soreness when you first start working out.

Soon, your body adapts and you begin to gain, not lose, energy as you get fitter. As your lung capacity increases and your heart and muscles get stronger, the things you do in your everyday life take less effort. You may be able to lift heavier objects and walk further and more quickly without putting in extra effort.

More “Happy” Lifestyle Choices

Physical activity is powerful, but it is not the only lifestyle choice that has immediate benefits. What you eat can have quick effects on your well-being. Just as exercise can affect your mood, alertness, sleep quality, and energy, so can food.

These are a few foods and their effects.


Weight loss
and better long-term health can be motivating, but short-term benefits can help make those daily healthy choices easier. Knowing that you will feel better, perform better all day, and sleep better at night if you get active and eat right can be enough to sway you towards better choices. Lark DPP will be there to cheer you on and guide you in making small steps towards increased well-being.

About Lark

Lark helps you eat better, move more, stress less, and improve your overall wellness. Lark’s digital coach is available 24/7 on your smartphone to give you personalized tips, recommendations, and motivation to lose weight and prevent chronic conditions like diabetes.

Read more

Get healthier with Lark & earn a Fitbit®

Lose weight, get more active, and eat better.
take 1-minute survey

See if Ozempic® is covered by insurance

Curb cravings and reach your weight loss goals!
AM I ELIGIBLE?

Similar posts

10 Ways to Lose Weight and Improve Health on Vacation10 Ways to Lose Weight and Improve Health on Vacation

10 Ways to Lose Weight and Improve Health on Vacation

There’s plenty to look forward to when you go on vacation, from a change in your daily routine to exciting new experiences and souvenirs.

Learn more
How to Prevent Food Triggers from Making You EatHow to Prevent Food Triggers from Making You Eat

How to Prevent Food Triggers from Making You Eat

There are several possible triggers that can lead to eating when your body is not actually hungry.

Learn more
Seven Ways to Be More Mindful When Choosing Healthy FoodsSeven Ways to Be More Mindful When Choosing Healthy Foods

Seven Ways to Be More Mindful When Choosing Healthy Foods

Mindful eating is an approach to food and eating that you can carry with you for life.

Learn more