Physical Activity Yields Feelings of Excitement, Enthusiasm

ScienceDaily (Feb. 8, 2012) — People who are more physically active report greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm than people who are less physically active, according to Penn State researchers. People also are more likely to report feelings of excitement and enthusiasm on days when they are more physically active than usual.

“You don’t have to be the fittest person who is exercising every day to receive the feel-good benefits of exercise,” said David Conroy, professor of kinesiology. “It’s a matter of taking it one day at a time, of trying to get your activity in, and then there’s this feel-good reward afterwards.”

Conroy added that it often is hard for people to commit to an exercise program because they tend to set longterm rather than short-term goals.

“When people set New Year’s resolutions, they set them up to include the entire upcoming year, but that can be really overwhelming,” he said. “Taking it one day at a time and savoring that feel-good effect at the end of the day might be one step to break it down and get those daily rewards for activity. Doing this could help people be a little more encouraged to stay active and keep up the program they started.”  Read More

Dr. Jay’s Note:  Pick a physical activity that you enjoy doing & look for opportunities to do it often. You can dance, garden, hike, swim, play a sport, etc.

My favorite forms of ‘exercise’ are surfing & trail running. Even though I’m usually pretty tired after a session in the water, surfing feels like play & yet it’s a great workout. Running on trails becomes a meditation in & with nature, the physical workout is just a tremendous bonus.

Be more playful in your exercise this month & soon your habits will improve for the long term.

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