The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage

by Kelly McGonigal

The average daily step count required to induce feelings of anxiety and depression and decrease satisfaction with life is 5,649. The typical American takes 4,774 steps per day. Across the globe, the average is 4,961.

the ability to persist so we can survive—can be an awe-inspiring experience. But it’s also something many runners and athletes glimpse directly when they choose to push past the inertia that makes it difficult to begin or the fatigue that tempts them to stop.

I am not a morning person, but I have learned to drag myself out from under the covers, stumble to the kitchen for coffee, and exercise before I do anything else. For me, it’s a survival strategy. I want to face the day as the version of myself who takes over by the time I’m done with my workout: braver, more optimistic, and ready to face whatever challenges await me.

Among married couples, when spouses exercise together, both partners report more closeness later that day, including feeling loved and supported.

Scientists will tell you that sitting around a fire encourages social bonding. The warmth, the flickering flames, and the crackling sounds lull us into a state more receptive to the pleasures of connecting with others.

One study of new members at a gym found that the minimum “exposure” required to establish a new exercise habit was four sessions per week for six weeks.

twelve-step program. He started with one workout a week, and within three weeks, decided that he could tolerate a second weekly session. One day he left a training session and noticed that he was smiling, something he describes as shocking. “I realized that not only was I happy,

physical activity reduces cravings for and abuse of cannabis, nicotine, alcohol, and morphine.

methamphetamine abuse participated in an hour of walking, jogging, and strength training three times a week. After eight weeks, their brains showed an increase in dopamine receptor availability in the reward system.

Our brains change as we age, and adults lose up to 13 percent of the dopamine receptors in the reward system with each passing decade. This loss leads to less enjoyment of everyday pleasures, but physical activity can prevent the decline. Compared

French sociologist Émile Durkheim coined the term collective effervescence to describe the euphoric self-transcendence individuals feel when they move together

This feeling—what modern researchers refer to as collective joy—is the main reason I love group exercise.

When fourteen-month-olds are bounced to music, facing an experimenter who bounces in sync, they are more likely to later help that experimenter pick up dropped markers. In some basic and primal way, when we move together, we tie our fates together, and we become invested in the well-being of those we move with.

The uniformity and simplicity of movement ensured that the dancers experienced “a pleasure of self-surrender.” Modern aerobics adopts the same strategy to produce a similarly ecstatic experience. When group exercise goes wrong, it’s almost always because the movements are so complicated that the synchrony collapses and the individual falls out of step with the group.

my go-to power songs. I was in an indoor cycling class when “Warrior” by Australian pop singer Havana Brown came on.

There is a deep process in physical movement that is a finding of one’s self—mentally, emotionally, physically, and in relation to the universe.”

Humans crave concrete goals and thrive when pursuing specific aims.

The first is a defined goal, that object on which hope lives. The second is a pathway to reach your goal. There must be steps you can take that lead to progress. The third is trusting that you are capable of pursuing that path. You must believe that you have the inner resources and the necessary support to take each step.

defines hope as “the elevating feeling we experience when we see—in the mind’s eye—a path to a better future.” Hope

Within the first five minutes of any physical activity in nature, people report major shifts in mood and outlook. Importantly, they don’t just feel better—they feel different, somehow both distanced from the problems of everyday life and more connected to life itself. Taking a walk outdoors slows people’s internal clocks, leading to the perception of time expanding. Simply being in an environment with a variety of plant species increases people’s ability to gain perspective on their lives. Even just remembering a time spent in the presence of natural beauty makes people more likely to say they feel connected to the world around them, unburdened by everyday concerns, and in the presence of something greater than themselves.

Spending time outdoors can also calm an agitated mind. The emotions we are most likely to feel in nature—wonder, awe, curiosity, hope—are natural antidotes to worry, distraction, and depression. As

Being active outdoors can help us tap into the human capacity for mindfulness, as well as the transcendence of being connected to something bigger than ourselves. It

it is fascinating that the short-term neurological effect of a walk in a park—something accessible to many people—so closely resembles the mechanism of two cutting-edge treatments for depression. This

It is also a reminder that making time for physical activity is not self-indulgent. For many, it is an act of self-care, even self-preservation.

When you are absorbed in your natural surroundings, the brain shifts into a state called soft fascination. It is a state of heightened present-moment awareness.

By reconnecting with nature, we refamiliarize ourselves with this other aspect of what it means to be human. This is a big part of what draws people to green exercise.

The human longing to connect with nature is called biophilia, which literally means love of life. According to biologist E. O. Wilson, biophilia is a hardwired instinct that is key to human happiness. The

One study tracked the daily movements and mood of over 20,000 adults, using the GPS on their smartphones. After collecting over a million data points, the researchers concluded that people are happier in natural environments. And yet typical Americans spend 93 percent of their time indoors, creating what some call a nature deficit.

Astronauts catch a whiff of fresh “space” only when operating the air lock for crewmates returning from spacewalks. They describe the smell of space, which lingers on spacesuits, as metallic, sweet, and reminiscent of welding fumes.

The bacteria found in ordinary soil can reduce inflammation in the brain, making dirt an antidepressant. When soil gets under your nails in a garden or you breathe deeply in a place where earth is being turned, you expose yourself to these helpful bacteria. The

Many focused on the impermanence of their present pain. As one athlete told herself, “Sooner or later, the last lap will be done.”

“When I’m tired or a mile hurts, the beautiful thing running has taught me is it won’t always hurt. In some way, it gets better. Joy cometh in the morning.” When

A 2018 scientific paper identified thirty-five proteins released by your quadriceps during a single hour of bicycling. Some of these myokines help your muscles grow stronger, while others regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, or even kill cancer cells.

you’re looking for a guideline, it’s this: Move. Any kind, any amount, and any way that makes you happy. Move whatever parts of your body still move, with gratitude. Move by yourself, and in community. Move in your home. Move outdoors. Move to music or in silence. Set goals that are personally meaningful. Take baby steps, then conquer a big stretch. Seek out new experiences and explore new identities. Pay attention to how activities make you feel and how they change you. Listen to your body. Give yourself permission to do what feels good. Revel in metaphor and meaning. Look for places, people, and communities that inspire you and make you feel welcomed. Keep following the thread of joy as long as you can.