Physical Activity Creates a Happiness Surplus

— Daily Journal Entry 005 —

Sometimes I think we forget about the benefits that come with simply getting up and moving around. Getting out of your (my) lazy boy, and just going outside to retrieve the mail from the end of the driveway can sometimes get you out of that physical and mental slump that you’ve allowed yourself to fall into for the past few hours.

Now imagine that small, small dose of elevated attitude amplified several times because of a slightly more intense, deliberate workout: walking a mile or two, lifting weights, doing some calisthenics, etc. I say, “slightly,” because the effort does not have to immense. If you’ve done any of the activities I just mentioned, especially after having been basically motionless for a period of time (days, weeks, months, years), then you know the feeling. Consistently chasing that feeling is the hard part.

How Physical Activity Makes Us Happier (Non-Medical Version)

Human beings were made to “Shoot-Move-And-Communicate” (to bring back some of my earlier military terminology / phrases). Might not be the best analogy, but the point is we’re not made to sit at a desk for hours on end, or to lie on the couch / sit in a lazy boy binge watching the latest “whatever show” for the entire weekend.

We’re made to hunt for our food, tend to the land’s crops, physically be present with your kids in their time of play, whatever the case may be. And, as we all know, we have gradually created lives for ourselves (human race as a whole) that involves less and less physical activity. And, in my humble opinion, we’re less happy because of it.

If you’ve ever played any sports as a kid, then you can probably remember the excitement that came with participating in that sport. Whether, you won something, or not, that wasn’t the point. Or, at least, it wasn’t for me. The experience was normally exhilarating regardless.

To Be Continued…

Until Next Time,

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  • Featured Image: Hiking up the stairs at Chimney Rock, NC, Lake Lure… Very nice hike and view once you get to the top… Haven’t been since Helene unfortunately… View on My Flikr Account.
  • Note: These “Daily Journal Entries” are part of a mini blog within the main blog where I make every effort to publish a 250+ word post per day on top of the regular, longer posts. The idea is to just create a daily habit of publishing written content. And also, to try and become a better overall writer… We’ll see…

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