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

by Kelly McGonigal

It would be years before I’d learn the neuroscience that explains why my students saw the best in me. When you lead people in movement, a group-level trust is cultivated, but you, the instructor, are the one constant beneficiary of any synchrony-based bonding. Every person in the room has the experience of watching and synchronizing with you. The hours my students spent mimicking my movements contributed to a felt sense, in their bodies, that they could trust me. This trust was, in a way, unearned. I had unintentionally exploited a social shortcut. But the trust of my students had a very real impact on me. Scientists who study social relationships have discovered that trust is a self-fulfilling prophecy. People who are viewed as trustworthy act in more generous and dependable ways. This becomes further evidence of their trustworthiness, and people trust them even more.