, 2011) should boost research output regarding the (epi)genomic action of GR and MR during the coming years. It’s becoming increasingly PLX4032 in vivo clear that glucocorticoids act on neuronal function through a great number of molecular mechanisms within different time domains. The fastest action is via membrane-bound

receptors (Groeneweg et al., 2012), an issue which hasn’t been addressed as their role in the behaviors mentioned here is unclear. The second fastest is the interaction of receptors with signaling mechanisms like the GR-MAPK interaction addressed here. The slowest one is the action of MRs and GRs (via GREs) at the genome. This molecular portfolio allows glucocorticoids to adjust neuron function via disparate mechanisms and different time domains, which underscores its importance for resilience. It is now well established that life style choices play a pivotal role in staying healthy and well, selleck screening library both physically and mentally. A life style option which has been obtaining great attention over the past several decades is physical activity. Initially, great benefits as a result of performing exercise regularly were seen with regard to cardiovascular health and controlling body weight. Presently, however, it has become clear that regular physical activity evokes vast changes in a plethora of body functions, many of which can be regarded as particularly

beneficial for resilience. As the breadth of its effects on the body and mind is probably greater than any other life style option (e.g. meditation, yoga) we have chosen to review

here the consequences of regular exercise with special emphasis regarding its benefits for stress resilience. During the past 15 years evidence has been accumulating before that an active life style is beneficial for resilience against stress. Often (in the media) it is thought that regular exercise is predominantly helpful for cardiovascular health and maintaining body weight in a healthy range. However, a variety of studies, exploring effects of exercise at the molecular, cellular, physiological and behavioral level, have shown that exercise has a deep impact on many body functions. When considering animal studies a distinction needs to be made between voluntary exercise and forced exercise. In the voluntary exercise paradigm, rodents like rats and mice run in a running wheel whenever they please to do so; they are not forced whatsoever. If provided with a running wheel they will run during the first half of the nighttime, i.e. the time when they are normally most active (Droste et al., 2003 and Droste et al., 2007). A vast body of work indicates that this voluntary exercise has major beneficial effects and increases resilience to stress (Reul and Droste, 2005, Collins et al., 2012 and van Praag et al., 1999).