Our bodies are important to how we think, feel and behave. Research demonstrates physical activity not only helps prevent disease, but it helps improve the quality of our life and health. In fact, physical activity, active leisure and play are essential for our physical, intellectual and emotional development at all ages and stages of life.

Intentional, mindful movement has the ability to enhance vital aspects of our mechanical, neural and biological performance, including improving our attentional focus, concentration, confidence, balance, speed, vitality, postural alignment, and homeostasis. Further, there is a positive transfer of training effect, meaning that when we improve our performance in one area, it can impact another area of performance, which may affect how we direct physical and mental energies. This could result in experiencing greater acceptance, satisfaction, and gratitude for our own body, and a deeper compassion for others.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the greatest global health threats was around the “epidemic of inactivity.” Physical activity, and especially quality movement, has a profoundly salutary effect in reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including heart disease, cancers, pulmonary lung disease, diabetes, and depression. Considerable research and epidemiological data indicate moving more, and well, especially aerobically, reduces the risk of NCDs and communicable diseases, like COVID-19, by improving our biological, cognitive, and psychological health.

The late Dr. Ray Fowler, former President of the American Psychological Association, was a frequent guest faculty in the MAPP Program, lecturing on Positive Health. A leader in the early Robert Wood Johnson Positive Health project, initiated by Dr. Martin Seligman, Ray was a positive influencer and an excellent, inspiring role model around the beneficial and necessary aspects of regular physical activity. Over the years, Ray invited me to present Energy Breaks to help get MAPP students up, moving, and refreshed over intensive weekends of mostly 9 to 10-hour days in the classroom. Ray was quick to mention that physical activity interventions offer a “constructive synchronicity” between Positive Health and Positive Psychology. Ray also emphasized the role of physical activity in learning.

Recently, Amanda Moffa and I, both MAPP alumni, answered a call to action from Dr. Martin “Marty” Seligman, who is Penn’s MAPP Founder and widely considered the “Founder of Positive Psychology.” At a virtual MAPP Meet-Up discussing strategies to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Seligman, with Andrew Soren (C’13), MAPP Alumni President, and Dr. Senia Maymin (C’06), spoke about the need for “neck down” interventions to help people experience more joy and positivity. Marty encouraged webinar attendees to “play, dance, and do more physical activity.” It was validating, uplifting and encouraging for Marty to shine a light on the importance of physical activity, the body, and movement as possible sources of joy. Dancing, as an example, keeps our neural connections strong, boosts brain power, promotes new learning, builds stamina, balance, coordination, and flexibility, and it’s fun!

After the MAPP Alumni webinar with Marty, Amanda and I connected, collaborated, and with the help of a talented team of positive psychology experts, co-created Body Full of Joy. The premise: Body Full of Joy encourages you to move your body and love your mind. Along with Amanda Moffa (C’19) and myself (C’08), Cecilie Kran Lovestam (C’19), LeeAnn Mallorie, MSC (C’15), Nick Ritchey, Ilene Schaffer, MA, APPC, and Laura Taylor (C’14) launched 30 one-minute online videos, designed to help you center, stretch, relax, energize, connect to your body, and have a laugh. Each brief video explores the transformative power of energy and our somatic awareness. This well-being initiative is based on the science of positive psychology, movement science, and kinesthetic experience.

Along with the goal of helping people find more positivity and joy in the moment, an important objective in creating Body of Full of Joy was to support people to learn how to apply positivity to help fight infection, lessen the risk of disease, and move toward thriving. Embracing the role of the body and physical activity is essential in the facilitation of well-being. Kinesiology, the scientific study of human movement, addresses those physiological, biomechanical. and psychological mechanisms. Kinesiology, especially with positive psychology in mind, can empower the mind, body and spirit. In his theory of flow, psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi posits that movement and physical experience, which use the body as a source of enjoyment, are among the best ways to find the sweet spot where challenge meets opportunity.

Positive physical activity, mindful movement, and care for our bodies can help us achieve greater potential and are essential for our physical, intellectual and emotional development at all ages and stages of life. The Body Full of Joy series offers important, quick, and easy access to help improve the quality of our lives and reduce the risk of disease and is a valuable transmitter of well-being habits.

Positive emotions, with our bodies in mind, can alleviate (dis)stress, and help us think, sleep, and feel better. Body Full of Joy is a quick and easy way to build healthy habits and empower your mind, body and spirit. We hope you will check it out, join in, boost your joy factor, and share with your family and friends.

Know your body. Here are some questions for reflection:

1. What aspects of my body can I notice or appreciate, rather than take for granted?

2. When do I tend to have the most energy or feel my best during the day?

3. Imagine optimal health. How does that feel and how can I create it?

4. How might I infuse more intention, attention, passion, and zest into my life today?

5. Thinking of a time when I felt good physically, what was going on and how can I create more of those good feeling now?

About the Author

Elaine O’Brien, PhD, MAPP (C’08), is a Positive Psychology, Fitness Leadership, Positive Health Promotion, Movement Science, Aging, and Well-being speaker, author, trainer, thought leader, people/project manager, educator, and consultant. Elaine creates programs promoting proactive positive health/fitness, and optimal performance. Elaine presents internationally, and online, advancing medicine, health/fitness, and flourishing, inspiring people to move more, enjoyably, with meaning in motion via PEP: Positive Exercise Practices.