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New Research: Exercise Helps Build a Sense of Purpose in Life

What kind of study was this?

This was an observational study, which means researchers didn’t take participants and make them do anything different in their lives. Instead, they used surveys that asked people about a lot of different aspects of their lives.

Then the researchers used statistics to measure the strength of association between different things like how much people exercised and how strong their sense of purpose in life was.

What did researchers want to know?

They were interested in seeing if there’s a bidirectional relationship between exercise and a sense of purpose in life. A bidirectional relationship means that two things are mutually reinforcing each other. So, they wanted to look at the connection over time between people’s amount of exercise and their sense of purpose in life.

They wanted to know if an increase in sense of purpose over several years predicted an increase in exercise. They also wanted to know if an increase in exercise over several years predicted an increase in purpose.

What did the researchers actually do?

They statistically analyzed surveys from two different studies to see if this bidirectional relationship between exercise and sense of purpose existed. One study surveyed people 4 years apart, and the other surveyed people 9 years apart.

What did the researchers find?

They found that an increase in exercise over several years was significantly associated with an increase in purpose in life. They also found that a higher purpose in life at an earlier time was associated with an increase in physical activity at a later time.

What does this mean for parents and kids?

Low levels of purpose in life or a decrease in purpose in life is a risk factor for depression and low levels of life satisfaction. Developing an exercise habit early in life may help boost a sense of purpose in life for both parents and kids.

Original article:
Yemiscigil, A., Vlaev, I. The bidirectional relationship between sense of purpose in life and physical activity: a longitudinal study. J Behav Med (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-021-00220-2

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New Research: Exercise Helps Build a Sense of Purpose in Life

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New Research: Exercise Helps Build a Sense of Purpose in Life

Exercise may help increase a sense of purpose in life and a sense of purpose in life may increase the amount of exercise. A strong purpose in life is protective against depression and low life satisfaction.

By

The Family Thrive Expert Team

July 20, 2021

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What kind of study was this?

This was an observational study, which means researchers didn’t take participants and make them do anything different in their lives. Instead, they used surveys that asked people about a lot of different aspects of their lives.

Then the researchers used statistics to measure the strength of association between different things like how much people exercised and how strong their sense of purpose in life was.

What did researchers want to know?

They were interested in seeing if there’s a bidirectional relationship between exercise and a sense of purpose in life. A bidirectional relationship means that two things are mutually reinforcing each other. So, they wanted to look at the connection over time between people’s amount of exercise and their sense of purpose in life.

They wanted to know if an increase in sense of purpose over several years predicted an increase in exercise. They also wanted to know if an increase in exercise over several years predicted an increase in purpose.

What did the researchers actually do?

They statistically analyzed surveys from two different studies to see if this bidirectional relationship between exercise and sense of purpose existed. One study surveyed people 4 years apart, and the other surveyed people 9 years apart.

What did the researchers find?

They found that an increase in exercise over several years was significantly associated with an increase in purpose in life. They also found that a higher purpose in life at an earlier time was associated with an increase in physical activity at a later time.

What does this mean for parents and kids?

Low levels of purpose in life or a decrease in purpose in life is a risk factor for depression and low levels of life satisfaction. Developing an exercise habit early in life may help boost a sense of purpose in life for both parents and kids.

Original article:
Yemiscigil, A., Vlaev, I. The bidirectional relationship between sense of purpose in life and physical activity: a longitudinal study. J Behav Med (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-021-00220-2

‍

What kind of study was this?

This was an observational study, which means researchers didn’t take participants and make them do anything different in their lives. Instead, they used surveys that asked people about a lot of different aspects of their lives.

Then the researchers used statistics to measure the strength of association between different things like how much people exercised and how strong their sense of purpose in life was.

What did researchers want to know?

They were interested in seeing if there’s a bidirectional relationship between exercise and a sense of purpose in life. A bidirectional relationship means that two things are mutually reinforcing each other. So, they wanted to look at the connection over time between people’s amount of exercise and their sense of purpose in life.

They wanted to know if an increase in sense of purpose over several years predicted an increase in exercise. They also wanted to know if an increase in exercise over several years predicted an increase in purpose.

What did the researchers actually do?

They statistically analyzed surveys from two different studies to see if this bidirectional relationship between exercise and sense of purpose existed. One study surveyed people 4 years apart, and the other surveyed people 9 years apart.

What did the researchers find?

They found that an increase in exercise over several years was significantly associated with an increase in purpose in life. They also found that a higher purpose in life at an earlier time was associated with an increase in physical activity at a later time.

What does this mean for parents and kids?

Low levels of purpose in life or a decrease in purpose in life is a risk factor for depression and low levels of life satisfaction. Developing an exercise habit early in life may help boost a sense of purpose in life for both parents and kids.

Original article:
Yemiscigil, A., Vlaev, I. The bidirectional relationship between sense of purpose in life and physical activity: a longitudinal study. J Behav Med (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-021-00220-2

‍

What kind of study was this?

This was an observational study, which means researchers didn’t take participants and make them do anything different in their lives. Instead, they used surveys that asked people about a lot of different aspects of their lives.

Then the researchers used statistics to measure the strength of association between different things like how much people exercised and how strong their sense of purpose in life was.

What did researchers want to know?

They were interested in seeing if there’s a bidirectional relationship between exercise and a sense of purpose in life. A bidirectional relationship means that two things are mutually reinforcing each other. So, they wanted to look at the connection over time between people’s amount of exercise and their sense of purpose in life.

They wanted to know if an increase in sense of purpose over several years predicted an increase in exercise. They also wanted to know if an increase in exercise over several years predicted an increase in purpose.

What did the researchers actually do?

They statistically analyzed surveys from two different studies to see if this bidirectional relationship between exercise and sense of purpose existed. One study surveyed people 4 years apart, and the other surveyed people 9 years apart.

What did the researchers find?

They found that an increase in exercise over several years was significantly associated with an increase in purpose in life. They also found that a higher purpose in life at an earlier time was associated with an increase in physical activity at a later time.

What does this mean for parents and kids?

Low levels of purpose in life or a decrease in purpose in life is a risk factor for depression and low levels of life satisfaction. Developing an exercise habit early in life may help boost a sense of purpose in life for both parents and kids.

Original article:
Yemiscigil, A., Vlaev, I. The bidirectional relationship between sense of purpose in life and physical activity: a longitudinal study. J Behav Med (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-021-00220-2

‍

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