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

by Kelly McGonigal

It’s a puzzling marriage, running and belonging. Why do our brains so readily link physical activity and social connection? And why does the biology of the runner’s high coincide so closely with the neurochemistry of cooperation? Whatever the reason, this is how we evolved. We are able to persist, for ourselves and for one another. Whether chasing down dinner, pushing a stroller up a hill, or running errands for a neighbor, we can take joy in the effort. 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 for feeling connected to others—allowing for more spontaneous feelings of closeness, companionship, and belonging, whether with family, friends, or strangers.