How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and
Courage in the Time of COVID
Presented by Kelly McGonigal, Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Best-selling author, TED speaker, and Stanford University lecturer Kelly McGonigal, PhD, hosted a webinar with Continuing Studies on how to harness the power of movement to increase happiness, resilience, and social well-being. People who are physically active are not only physically healthier, they also have a stronger sense of purpose and experience more gratitude, love, and hope. They feel more connected to their communities and are less likely to suffer from loneliness or become depressed. In this webinar, attendees learned how and why physical activity promotes resilience, belonging, and even meaning in life—from the biological, including how exercise remodels the brain to make you more receptive to joy and social connection; to the psychological, such as how movement is intertwined with identity, self-expression, and self-efficacy.
Resources:
Spotify playlists recommended by Kelly:
- Songs People Want to Dance To
- Lifetime Activities Workout Mix
- TikTok Music 2020 - Best Tik Tok Songs & TikTok Dances
- Confidence Boost
Kelly's latest book:
About the speaker:
Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University who specializes in understanding the mind-body connection. As a pioneer in the field of "science-help," her mission is to translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and strengthen communities. She is the best-selling author of The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress. You might also know her from her TED talk, "How to Make Stress Your Friend," which is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time, with more than 20 million views. Through the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, she helped create Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training, a program now taught around the world that helps individuals strengthen their empathy, compassion, and self-compassion. Her new book, The Joy of Movement, explores why physical exercise is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.