Had a bad day? Extending your normal exercise routine by a few minutes may be the solution, according to Penn State researchers, who found that people’s satisfaction with life was higher on days when they exercised more than usual. “We found that people’s satisfaction with life was directly impacted by their daily physical activity,” said Jaclyn Maher, graduate student in kinesiology. “The findings reinforce the idea that physical activity is a health behavior with important consequences for daily well-being and should be considered when developing national policies to enhance satisfaction with life.” The team examined the influence of physical activity on satisfaction with life among emerging adults ages 18 to 25 years because this population’s sense of well-being appears to worsen more quickly than at any other time during adulthood.
