April 8, 2019
If the benefits of sport on physical health are no longer to be demonstrated, it would seem that it is also excellent for mental health. Physical activity makes you happier than money, according to a recent study.
Exercise is better for your mental health than money
Money does not buy happiness, but physical exercise does! This is the conclusion of a large study conducted between 2011 and 2015 by researchers at Yale and Oxford universities, among 1.2 million Americans over the age of 18, and published in the very serious journal The Lancet. According to them, sport is better for your mental health than money.
To reach this conclusion, the interviewees had to answer this question: “ How many times have you felt in poor mental health, for example because of stress, depression or emotional problems, in the past 30 days? “. At the same time, they had to specify their income and the physical activities they practiced, among 75 activities offered, ranging from cleaning to running.
The amount of sport practiced is not proportional to the level of happiness experienced
According to the researchers, people who regularly participate in sport experience psychological discomfort 35 days a year on average, compared to 53 for those who do not exercise. Compared to money, exercising would make you as happy as earning $ 25,000, or about 22,000 euros, more per year !
Other interesting information provided by the study: the amount of sport practiced is not proportional to the level of happiness felt. Researchers have sought to determine the influence of the type, frequency, duration and intensity of exercise practiced on mental health. According to them, three to five sports sessions of 30 to 60 minutes per week would be more beneficial than three hours of exercise per day for example. They recommend, moreover, the ” popular team sports Like aerobics and gymnastics.
Aurélie Giraud
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