And the more physically active you are, the more rewarding these experiences become. That’s because one of the ways that regular exercise changes your brain is by increasing the density of binding sites for endocannabinoids. Your brain becomes more sensitive to any pleasure that activates the endocannabinoid system; it can take in more joy. This includes the runner’s high, which helps explain why people find exercise more enjoyable the more they do it. But it also includes social pleasures, like sharing, cooperating, playing, and bonding. In this way, regular exercise may lower your threshold
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