Want To Feel Happier During The Quarantine? Exercise–Really.
As far as quarantine activities go, for overall happiness, exercise is a win-win. It won't come as a surprise to you hear about the plethora of benefits we receive from exercising--both on your physical and mental health. If you want to give yourself a refresher to give you an added kick of motivation this week, this will help.
However, this new study done by researchers at Yale and Oxford suggests that exercise may be more important to maintaining your mental and emotional health than, stop the press, making a gazillion dollars. Surprised?
It may seem hard to believe since we've been hardwired from youth to make more money, make more money, just keep making more money. So the idea that something that's already so good for us anyway would have a larger effect on our happiness than achieving the "American dream," can seem a bit eyebrow-raising.
The study, which was posted in the prestigious journal The Lancet, involved 1.2 million Americans about whom scientists collected data in regard to their physical activity and mood. They were asked questions related to mental wellness, emotional issues, as well as their level of income. That's a very simple summary of an in-depth study.
Basic finding revealed that participants who did exercise regularly felt bad on way fewer days than those who did not. Also, the comparisons between the people who were physically active felt as good as those who don't exercise but made about $25K more each year.
Does that mean we should just exercise ourselves into bliss-dom? Well, it's not that simple either. You want to find a balance, just like everything in life. How much exercise is TOO much? Learn more about striking the right balance here.
READ MORE: 10 free apps to help you get fit in our new normal