And certainly, people with sunnier outlooks may also be more inclined than those who are glum to adopt healthy habits like eating well and exercising, which means it could be the healthy habits, not the personality per se, that keep arteries clean and disease free.
I found out about this article from Ted Leonsis’s blog Ted’s Take. If you haven’t read his blog before, try it out. He talks about all sorts of topics – including sports of course. Back to the article….
The mind/body connection has always been talked about. This study found that there was a direct correlation between a positive outlook and a decrease in the risk of a heart attack. Furthermore, events that cause a temporary onset of depression did not have an overall effect on those findings.
The researchers aren’t sure why but suspect that people who are happier tend to have longer periods of relaxation, which benefits cardiovascular health. They may also recover more quickly from stressful events and not spend as much time “re-living” them.
My interpretation? Exercising regularly helps you feel great, which lends itself to feeling better, feeling happier and having more fulfilling experiences. Combine all of that, and you can’t help but see things in a much more positive light. See, another reason to get out there and be active!
Happy Sunday!!