Moving Your Body Is Like a Tune-Up for Your Mind

Why, exactly, does movement make you feel better?

A new book by science journalist Caroline Williams called Move!: The New Science of Body Over Mind highlights fascinating new insights into the mind-body connection.

Drawing on neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s work on how our bodies and brain signal back and forth, she explains, “The unconscious messages coming from the body provide not only the basis for the self but also a kind of undercurrent to our consciousness that sets the mood for everything else that happens. These ‘background feelings,’ as [Damasio] calls them, act a bit like the soundtrack of a film: They have the power to make us feel happy, sad, hopeful, or on edge, for reasons that we can’t quite put our finger on.”

Our bodies influence our brains for better or worse. “Sitting may be the new smoking,” she argues, explaining that a sedentary lifestyle harms our mental as well as our physical health, leaving one at risk of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Conversely, activities like strength training have the capacity to increase self-esteem and give one a sense of agency and mastery: “In other words, the strength in our muscles—signaled unconsciously to our brains—may translate to a sense of strength and confidence in the world.” So in countless ways, our movement (or lack thereof) affects our moods. “The truth is that brain, body, and mind are part of the same beautiful system,” writes Williams. “And the whole thing works better when it’s on the move.”

To discover the benefits unique to dancing, explore how exercise helps with everything from PTSD to conflict resolution, and take a deeper dive into the ways our bodies and brains are interconnected, read the full article here.

Newman, Kira. “’Moving Your Body Is Like a Tune-Up for Your Mind.” GreaterGood.com, 22 Feb 2022, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/moving_your_body_is_like_a_tuneup_for_your_mind.

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