25 May Happiness, productivity and…physical activity
by Marie-Josee Salvas Shaar
There has been a lot of press about health, fitness, and obesity lately. It seems like everywhere we turn, there are new stats telling us why we need to pay serious attention. As a health coach, the most common excuse I hear for physical inactivity is not lack of information, but lack of time. In this article, I_ã_d like to explain why spending time working out also helps people work smart. In fact, I argue that the time invested in physical activity pays for itself in increased productivity.
For starters, I_ã_d like to point out that only moving creatures have a brain. Living organisms that build roots and stay in one place all their lives may have an intelligence, but no physical brain. Creatures that move have to think in order to feed and defend themselves and survive. Harvard psychiatry professor, John Ratey, points out that it is therefore no surprise that movement generates the brain activity necessary for synaptic connections to be formed and maintained. In other words, moving facilitates learning and remembering, both of which are certainly very good skills for anyone who wants to work smart. In Ratey_ã_s words, exercise is _ã–Mental Miracle-Gro._ã
For too long, those of us interested in happiness and positive psychology have focused just on thoughts and emotions; but this article delves into the important relationships between happiness, productivity AND movement. to read more just click here