Exercise Boosts Your Satisfaction With Life

What’s the Latest Development?

Exercising just a little longer than usual can have a significant effect on how satisfied you feel with your life, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Aging at the National Institutes of Health. In the study, a team of researchers examined the influence of physical activity “on satisfaction with life among emerging adults ages 18 to 25 years because this population’s sense of well-being appears to worsen more quickly than at any other time during adulthood.” To establish causality, the study controlled for factors such as mental health, fatigue and Body Mass Index.

What’s the Big Idea?

Because young adults are moving out of the house for the first time, beginning college or starting a new job, their satisfaction with life is easily damaged. Exercise, however, can greatly influence how they feel. “We found that people’s satisfaction with life was directly impacted by their daily physical activity,” said Jaclyn Maher, graduate student in kinesiology. “The findings reinforce the idea that physical activity is a health behavior with important consequences for daily well-being and should be considered when developing national policies to enhance satisfaction with life.”

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