Want to improve your mood? Go for a walk

Feeling a little down in the dumps? It turns out that a modest exercise program — even just taking regular walks — can improve your mood significantly.

Simple strategies may include parking a little farther away from your place of work than usual or walking up and down stairs instead of taking the elevator.

The mood benefits of modest exercise boost the sense of well-being a person feels after taking a low dose of an opiate pain killer, like codeine or Percocet. The research shows that the brain seems to function better on a variety of levels.

For one thing, regular exercise increases blood and energy flow to the brain, improving mental acuity.

For another, genes in nerve cells that signal the production of proteins called growth factors seem to work more efficiently with exercise.