[Aminee Alexander is a Masters Student at NCSU and an Athletic Development Intern at Athletic Lab] Depression is a major psychological disorder affecting about 9.5% of the U.S. adult population every year (Craft, 2004). Most treatment begins with a cycle of medications that may or may not have a positive effect on the individual but exercise has been shown to be just as helpful as medication(Peluso, 2005). It is well known that exercise is important for our physical health, but does exercise really have an effect on our mental health too. There is a growing amount of research being done focusing on the benefits of exercise on the mind. Research has shown that moderately intense physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can be an effective method to reduce depressive symptoms in patients with mild to moderate depression when used in conjunction with medication(Ho et.al, 2014). Exercise Improves Mood Ever heard of runner's high? Runner's high is the euphoric feeling experienced by certain individuals while, you guessed it, running! These runners can run long distances without feeling pain or other uncomfortable feelings that tend to be felt while most are running. It is almost as if they don't even realize they're running anymore. This is explained by endorphins, our body's natural pain blockers, being released during exercise. It is hypothesized that endorphins are released during physical activity and act to inhibit the central nervous system therefore being responsible for the calm feeling and improved mood (Peluso, 2005). There is also evidence that exercise leads to an increase in the availability of the mood-controlling neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and nor-epinephrine that are diminished during depression (Craft, 2004). Although exercise is safer than drugs, it is important not to "overdose" [...]