Joy of Movement The

About this book

The bestselling author of The Willpower Instinct introduces a surprising science-based book that doesnt tell us why we should exercise but instead shows us how to fall in love with movement. Exercise is health-enhancing and life-extending yet many of us feel its a chore. But as Kelly McGonigal reveals it doesnt have to be. Movement can and should be a source of joy. Through her trademark blend of science and storytelling McGonigal draws on insights from neuroscience psychology anthropology and evolutionary biology as well as memoirs ethnographies and philosophers. She shows how movement is intertwined with some of the most basic human joys including self-expression social connection and mastery--and why it is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression anxiety and loneliness. McGonigal tells the stories of people who have found fulfillment and belonging through running walking dancing swimming weightlifting and more with examples that span the globe from Tanzania where one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes on the planet live to a dance class at Juilliard for people with Parkinsons disease to the streets of London where volunteers combine fitness and community service to races in the remote wilderness where athletes push the limits of what a human can endure. Along the way McGonigal paints a portrait of human nature that highlights our capacity for hope cooperation and self-transcendence. The result is a revolutionary narrative that goes beyond familiar arguments in favor of exercise to illustrate why movement is integral to both our happiness and our humanity. Readers will learn what they can do in their own lives and communities to harness the power of movement to create happiness meaning and connection.