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Age Wise
My Favorite Happiness Hack
A little physical activity can trigger a mental makeover
Among the most underrated revelations of modern scientific research is the healing ability and protective power of physical activity. And I’m not talking about fixing your body.
Forget that moving more can help you live longer, avoid debilitating physical conditions or even battle chronic pain. Upping your level of physical activity, even by a little, can trigger a mental makeover, potentially making you smarter, less stressed and, yes, happier. Immediately, right now, today — and for the rest of your life. No matter how old you are.
“It is never too late to benefit from physical activity,” says Karmel Choi, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and faculty member at Harvard Medical School.
It’s also never too early.
“Physical activity earlier in life may help to prevent the physical and mental health conditions that emerge by mid-adulthood,” Choi says. “However, even older individuals who engage in physical activity may find it helpful for improving existing conditions or preventing poorer outcomes.”
And it doesn’t have to be super hard. As we’ll see, the benefits of moderate physical activity, akin to a brisk walk, accrue with every step you take.
Better than any pill
Physical activity is better than just about any pill for improving your mental well-being, extensive research has shown. Among the lesser-heralded effects: It can help you sleep, which alone will improve your mood. (Exercise can also improve your sex life, but that’s another story.)
But can exercise really make you happy? Scientists will tell you that happiness is notoriously difficult to define and measure, and cause-and-effect is hard to suss out. But there is strong evidence for this link. One review of the scientific literature concluded that people who were “sufficiently…
