Dr.
Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University.
As a pioneer in the field of "science-help," her mission is to
translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies
that support personal well-being and strengthen communities. Dr.McGonigal
recently shared some interesting research behind the effect of physical
activity on self-worth. The neuroscience suggests there is a strong connection,
for both adolescents and adults, between the part of your brain that processes
reward and positive motivation, and the part of your brain that processes your
sense of self. This connectivity is seen on a brain scan between the striatum
and its projection to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. It’s not just in
terms of these parts of the brain talking to each other more, but an increased
density of the white matter that is along the tracks of the neurons talking to
one another. This connectivity is really
important for us to feel like “we are good enough.” We need the part of our
brain that experiences hope and positive motivation to be strongly connected to
the part of the brain that thinks about yourself. When we see changes in this
connectivity, there are correlated changes in self-esteem.
So, what does this have to do with physical activity?
Well, one of the
things that seems to really damage this connection is inflammation; systemic
inflammation. This has been shown in both animals and in humans. If you reduce
inflammation through physical exercise, you can strengthen this
connection. We're talking about exercise, any sort of exercise, which has been
demonstrated to reduce systemic inflammation — walking, tai chi, yoga, running,
swimming, dancing. Basically, all of it has that effect on the body. I think
this research is so interesting and promising because it further points to the
necessity of self-care for experiencing good self-esteem. Self-care can also
include good nutrition, and proper amounts of sleep, as well as physical
activity, which have all been shown to reduce inflammation. It’s fascinating that you can build in a
sense of self-worth in the structure of your brain, by taking better care of
your body.
Cindy Quinn, LMSW