Learn more about your affect profile by taking the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule quiz (PANAS) here, and download Arthur’s morning protocol guide to help you start your mornings happier.

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Today, I want to talk about one of the lowest-hanging fruits for improving your well-being: exercise. Most Americans don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity, which means there’s an enormous opportunity to feel better. In this episode of Office Hours, I explain the science behind how exercise helps lower stress, anxiety, and negative mood, and how you can utilize it to improve your life.

I also cover: 

• Which kinds of exercise do the most to lift your mood and which calm stress the best 

• The stark reality of how few Americans meet even the basic exercise guidelines

• The 3 key brain chemicals exercise activates to improve your mood

• How to build an exercise habit that sticks

• How to define your emotional objective and build a routine around it

• The red flags that indicate exercise is tipping into addiction 

• Why a simple sunrise walk may be the most effective way to begin

• Listener questions on the effects of rituals on happiness, experiencing transcendence as a skeptic, and finding meaning in life

We’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at [email protected]. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening!

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Brought to you by:

• ⁠The Pump Club⁠—Finally, fitness you can trust. ⁠Join The Pump Club⁠—created by Arnold Schwarzenegger—for custom workouts and nutrition, habit building, and community—all for 50% OFF the monthly price with the code officehours at checkout.

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Where to find Arthur Brooks: 

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arthurbrooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/arthurbrooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(04:32) How active are Americans

(06:14) The 4 core types of exercise

(08:50) How exercise boosts the brain through 3 key neurotrophic factors

(11:55) The unique mental benefits of aerobic exercise, yoga, weightlifting, and sports

(15:36) What the data shows about who experiences the strongest mood lift from working out

(19:00) Signs your exercise habit is tipping into behavioral addiction

(24:48) Step 1: Build a strong foundation with a basic exercise routine

(26:34) Step 2: Define your emotional objective and personalize your routine

(27:36) Step 3: Aim for high moderation 

(27:59) Why sunrise walks are an ideal entry point for new exercisers 

(30:34) Q&A: How do rituals play into improved happiness 

(31:48) Q&A: How to get the benefits of transcendence as a skeptic 

(33:20) Q&A: How to find the reason you’re alive

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Referenced:

• Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1885.html

• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/

• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN

• My 6-Step Morning Protocol for a Better Day: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/my-6-step-morning-protocol-for-a-better-day

• Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2020: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm#section_1 

• Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 19 August 1785: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-08-02-0319

• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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