Physical activity, even in small amounts, benefits both physical and psychological well-being

The largest-ever smartphone-based study examining the relationship between physical activity and happiness has found that even minimal levels of activity can have a positive effect on happiness. In order to be happier, you don't have to go out and run a marathon. Jason Rentfrow A new study, based on reports from more than 10,000 individuals, has found that physical activity, whether or not it is classified as exercise, can have a positive effect on emotional well-being. The results , by researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Essex, are reported in the journal PLOS ONE , and demonstrate how smartphones can be used to collect large-scale data to examine psychological, behavioural and health-related phenomena as they occur in everyday life. Using data gathered from users of a mood tracking app for Android phones, the researchers found that modest levels of physical activity - even if it couldn't be classified as exercise - can increase a person's reported emotional well-being, regardless of their baseline level of happiness. They also found that people reported being happier when they were physically active. Earlier studies in this area have focused on the relationship between exercise and happiness, with mixed results.