This content was created by Brian Johnson. This content was uploaded by Brian Johnson. This is a podcast episode titled '+1: #1065 A Quick Ticket to Ick' from March 5, 2020, featuring Brian Johnson discussing the impact of physical activity on mental health, citing research on step counts and well-being, and promoting an upcoming event called Optimize 2020.
You're listening to Optimize with Brian Johnson. More wisdom in less time.
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one. In our last plus one we talked about how to sidestep depression and anxiety. I still can't believe that scientists have identified a threshold for our step counts under which we make ourselves more vulnerable for anxiety and depression. As Kelly McGonigal tells us in the Joy of Movement, I quote again, the average daily step count required to induce feelings of anxiety and depression and decrease satisfaction with life is 5,649. The typical American takes 4,774 steps per day. Across the globe, the average is 4,961, end quote. Right before those step count thresholds, she tells us, and I quote again, other experiments in the US and UK have forced moderately active adults to become sedentary for a period of time only to watch their well being wither. Regular exercisers who replace physical activity with a sedentary activity for two weeks become more anxious, tired and hostile. When adults are randomly assigned to reduce their daily step count, 88% become more depressed. Within one week of becoming more sedentary, they report a 31% decline in life satisfaction. End quote. Those stats are nuts as well. Take a regular exerciser, force them to become more sedentary and voila, their well being withers. 88%. 88% become more depressed. Within one week of becoming more sedentary, they report a 31% decline in life satisfaction. Kind of makes you want to move, huh? And it's funny because having been a non exercising and much more anxious, tired, hostile and depressed version of myself, I've often jokingly said that you couldn't pay me to not exercise. As it turns out, the researchers conducting studies like that often ran into challenges that finding people willing to not exercise. Apparently I'm not alone. So one more time back to you. How can you move a little more today?
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Optimize with Brian Johnson. To find out more, go to Optimize Me.
Hey guys, this is Brian with a quick little P.S. i'm really excited to let you know about an event we're working on. Plan is to make it the premier self optimizing event of 2020. We're calling it Optimize 2020. You the modern hero. Basic idea. Five days, 101 world class luminaries. One million people. You can learn more and get your tickets to the online and offline event at Optimize Me 2020again. That's Optimize Me. 2020. Hope to see you there.
