HHS HealthBeat (April 11, 2012)

Being active feels good

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Nicholas Garlow with HHS HealthBeat.

Researchers at Penn State have found a link between physical activity and feelings. Undergraduate students kept diaries, recording physical activity and end of day feeling states, for eight straight days. Researchers found that students who were more active in general, felt better than their peers who were less active.  Regardless of the level of physical activity, students felt better on days when they were more active than usual.

David Conroy is a professor at Penn State University.

“People should focus on trying to get a little more activity than they’re used to every day, and over time, it’s not only going to increase their level of activity, but also lead to improved health.” (14 seconds)

The study in the Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychology was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Nicholas Garlow.

Last revised: April 11, 2012