SKILL
Movement for Happiness is a positive intervention that is all about engaging in regular physical activity that brings you JOY! Physical activity should feel pleasurable, not painful (though there might be painful moments as you get started and grow). We know that any movement is better than no movement, and increased levels of movement often lead to a happier and healthier you. We also know that the happier and healthier you are, the more likely you are to move. Movement, just like nutrition and sleep, is critical to our physical health, and physical health is essential to our overall wellbeing (that’s why we’ve added +Health to the PERMA Theory of Wellbeing). So let’s see if we can help motivate you to get this cycle of feeling better kick-started! If you have not found a movement practice that brings you joy yet, it’s never too late. Let’s explore a few ways you might find movement to be more rewarding.

We exist in bodies that are made to move and designed to reinforce us with boosts to our moods and social connection when we engage in physical activity. There are several domains of physical activity (e.g., domestic, transport, vocational, leisure, play, competitive), endless ways to move (e.g., dance, yoga, swimming, running, biking, playing sports, cleaning the house, or powerlifting), and even some powerful enhancers (e.g., music, nature, moving in synchrony with others, and including friends) to your movement experience. There’s much more to joyful movement than walking on a treadmill (though keep going if that works for you). The key is to keep searching and exploring different movement forms until you find the one (or several) you feel you were born to do. Movement really can bring you happiness. Frequent physical activity has positive effects on every element critical to human flourishing:

Movement Benefits Every Single Element of PERMA+

SCIENCE
The early research is clear: physical activity is consistently associated with promoting happiness and life satisfaction across a wide range of people, health conditions, and abilities. The “runner’s high,” or neurochemical benefits of movement, have long been touted and supported by exercise enthusiasts and neurologists alike. Physical activity releases feel-good hormones — known as endorphins — in the brain that aid in promoting positive mental health. However, as the scientific exploration of the mind-body connection continues to grow, it appears that our muscles are just as much a part of the story. Scientists recently discovered that human muscles are designed to secrete mood-enhancing chemicals that promote courage, hope, and social connection. When we move our bodies, our muscles are designed to pump “mood food” to our brains through the endocrine system. It’s the combination of chemicals secreted by both the brain and the muscles that lead to the happiness-boosting impact of movement.

BENEFITS
People who engage in regular movement practices are more likely to experience:

• • • Higher levels of happiness
    • Increased positive mood states
    • Boosts to the immune system
    • Improved sleep duration and quality
    • Higher levels of life satisfaction and wellbeing
    • Enhanced cell growth in the brain
    • Decreased risk for mental illness

Additionally, individuals with learning, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who engage in regular movement experience:

• • • Increased feelings of social inclusion
    • Improved cognitive functioning
    • Improvements in behavioral functioning
    • Improved self-concept
    • Improved overall wellbeing