Feeling Good: It's Not a Stretch

Who wouldn't want to feel more energized and have a smile on their face all day? But short of popping some "happy pills," it seems there's no easy way. Until now. Enter yoga.

Yep, some simple yoga-style stretches and poses could do the trick. People who did them for 5 weeks reported a lift in their moods and more spring in their steps.

Positive Poses
A type of yoga that focuses on mood-boosting poses seemed to be particularly helpful in raising spirits in a recent study. In fact, people's moods not only generally improved about halfway through 5 weeks of doing Iyengar yoga, but posers also felt a bit better after class, too. Talk about instant gratification. Try doing some of these simple yoga moves at your desk right now.

More Ways to Smile
If yoga doesn't fit into your feel-good plans, try one of these better-mental-place lifestyle changes:

• Put on your walking shoes. You could start to feel better after just 30 minutes of hoofing it.
• Think fish, nuts, and flaxseeds. Here's why.
• Indulge in a snooze. Skimping on sleep opens the door to blue moods. Try this RealAge Deep Sleep Plan.
• Don't lose that loving feeling. Uh, huh. Here's what makes it so good for your psyche.

Find out if your blue mood might qualify as depression by taking this RealAge quiz.

A yoga intervention for young adults with elevated symptoms of depression. Woolery, A. et al., Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2004 Mar-Apr;10(2):60-63.