And if you're asking how could that be ? Well , you already know the answer the circuits in the brain and body that generate movement , not just goal seeking but movement itself . As I mentioned earlier that nigrostriatal pathway .
So yes , believe it or not , that morning sunlight exposure does increase your levels of dopamine , not just cortisol . And fourth on the list is going to be movement , exercise of varying kinds , be resistance training could be cardiovascular training that does increase levels of dopamine . Here , we're not talking about achieving peaks in dopamine , right ?
And because of the relationship between the cells in your eye , that sense sunlight , specifically morning sunlight , believe it or not , that happens and signal to your hypothalamus and the relationship between the hypothalamus and the pituitary and other endocrine organs . It sets in motion . A dopamine related cascade in neuromodulators , dopamine and hormones that lead to states of well being elevated mood alertness , et cetera throughout the day .
What we're really talking about here is getting into a regular exercise program of if not every day , at least five days a week , a mixture of cardiovascular and resistance exercise that we also know is known to elevate and maintain an elevated level of baseline dopamine . So it's not just about the euphoria you feel during or after exercise , it's also about the baseline level of dopamine that's achieved through regular movement and engaging in movement . And if you're asking how could that be ?
And yes , that circuit is separate from the VT a nucleus accumbens to cortical circuit , the meso cortical circuit that we've mainly been focusing on today , but they interact and so by engaging in regular movement , you ensure that you're maintaining elevated levels of baseline dopamine , which is what you want . If you're going to be able to engage in any kind of motivated pursuit behavior of any kind . So those are the fundamentals that will set the level of baseline dopamine in your system .
