Exercise reduces unhappiness more than it boosts happiness

Learn more about your affect profile by taking the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule quiz (PANAS) here, and download Arthur’s morning protocol guide to help you start your mornings happier.

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Today, I want to talk about one of the lowest-hanging fruits for improving your well-being: exercise. Most Americans don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity, which means there’s an enormous opportunity to feel better. In this episode of Office Hours, I explain the science behind how exercise helps lower stress, anxiety, and negative mood, and how you can utilize it to improve your life.

I also cover: 

• Which kinds of exercise do the most to lift your mood and which calm stress the best 

• The stark reality of how few Americans meet even the basic exercise guidelines

• The 3 key brain chemicals exercise activates to improve your mood

• How to build an exercise habit that sticks

• How to define your emotional objective and build a routine around it

• The red flags that indicate exercise is tipping into addiction 

• Why a simple sunrise walk may be the most effective way to begin

• Listener questions on the effects of rituals on happiness, experiencing transcendence as a skeptic, and finding meaning in life

We’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at officehours@arthurbrooks.com. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening!

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Where to find Arthur Brooks: 

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(04:32) How active are Americans

(06:14) The 4 core types of exercise

(08:50) How exercise boosts the brain through 3 key neurotrophic factors

(11:55) The unique mental benefits of aerobic exercise, yoga, weightlifting, and sports

(15:36) What the data shows about who experiences the strongest mood lift from working out

(19:00) Signs your exercise habit is tipping into behavioral addiction

(24:48) Step 1: Build a strong foundation with a basic exercise routine

(26:34) Step 2: Define your emotional objective and personalize your routine

(27:36) Step 3: Aim for high moderation 

(27:59) Why sunrise walks are an ideal entry point for new exercisers 

(30:34) Q&A: How do rituals play into improved happiness 

(31:48) Q&A: How to get the benefits of transcendence as a skeptic 

(33:20) Q&A: How to find the reason you’re alive

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Referenced:

• Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1885.html

• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/

• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN

• My 6-Step Morning Protocol for a Better Day: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/my-6-step-morning-protocol-for-a-better-day

• Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2020: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm#section_1 

• Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 19 August 1785: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-08-02-0319

• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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