The report shows that the citizens of Finland are the happiest, while the citizens of South Sudan are the least happy. Out of the 156 countries named in the study, the United States is listed as the 19th happiest country — slightly behind the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Belgium. The rankings of country happiness are based on the pooled results from Gallup World Poll surveys from 2016-2018.
Recently, researchers at Yale and Oxford collected data about the physical behavior and mental mood of more than 1.2 million Americans. Participants were asked to answer the following question: "How many times have you felt mentally unwell in the past 30 days, for example, due to stress, depression, or emotional problems?" The participants were also asked about their income and physical activities. They were able to choose from 75 types of physical activity — from mowing the lawn, taking care of children, and doing housework to weight lifting, cycling, and running.
The scientists found that while those who exercised regularly tended to feel bad for 35 days a year, nonactive participants felt bad for 18 days more, on average. In addition, the researchers found that physically active people feel just as good as those who don't do sports but who earn about $25,000 more a year. Essentially, you'd have to earn a lot more to get yourself the same happiness-boosting effect that sport has. However, it doesn't mean that the more sport activity you do the happier you are!
The study's author says that the relationship between sport duration and mental load is U-shaped. The study found that physical activity contributes to better mental well-being only when it falls within a certain time frame. According to the study, three to five training sessions, each lasting between 30 to 60 minutes, are ideal per week. The mental health of those participants who exercised for longer than three hours a day suffered more than that of those who weren't particularly physically active.
The researchers also noticed that certain sports that involve socializing (such as team sports) can have more of a positive effect on your mental health than others. Despite the fact that neither cycling nor aerobics and fitness technically counts as team sports, these activities were found to also have a considerable positive effect on mental health.
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
