PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND FEELING GOOD ENOUGH

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