Researchers have found that exercise, such as walking four to five kilometers in an hour, can completely reverse feelings of low mood associated with loneliness. Individuals with high connectivity in their default networks, an area linked to depression, benefited the most from exercise. The hypothesis is that exercise helps break the cycle of rumination, a behavior associated with depression that heavily involves the default network.
Many people around the world feel lonely. Chronic loneliness is known to have far-reaching health effects and has been linked to multiple conditions and even early death. But the mechanisms through which feeling alone can lead to poor health is a puzzle. Now, researchers are looking at neurons in the hopes that they may help explain why health issues arise when social needs go unmet.
This is an audio version of our Feature Why loneliness is bad for your health
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