Exercise Your Way to Greater Well-Being
Exercise Your Way to Greater Well-Being  
Podcast: Office Hours with Arthur Brooks
Published On: Mon Sep 29 2025
Description: Learn more about your affect profile by taking the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule quiz (PANAS) here, and download Arthur’s morning protocol guide to help you start your mornings happier.—Today, I want to talk about one of the lowest-hanging fruits for improving your well-being: exercise. Most Americans don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity, which means there’s an enormous opportunity to feel better. In this episode of Office Hours, I explain the science behind how exercise helps lower stress, anxiety, and negative mood, and how you can utilize it to improve your life.I also cover: • Which kinds of exercise do the most to lift your mood and which calm stress the best • The stark reality of how few Americans meet even the basic exercise guidelines• The 3 key brain chemicals exercise activates to improve your mood• How to build an exercise habit that sticks• How to define your emotional objective and build a routine around it• The red flags that indicate exercise is tipping into addiction • Why a simple sunrise walk may be the most effective way to begin• Listener questions on the effects of rituals on happiness, experiencing transcendence as a skeptic, and finding meaning in lifeWe’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at officehours@arthurbrooks.com. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening! —Brought to you by:• ⁠The Pump Club⁠—Finally, fitness you can trust. ⁠Join The Pump Club⁠—created by Arnold Schwarzenegger—for custom workouts and nutrition, habit building, and community—all for 50% OFF the monthly price with the code officehours at checkout.—Where to find Arthur Brooks: • Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arthurbrooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/arthurbrooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠officehours@arthurbrooks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠—Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(04:32) How active are Americans(06:14) The 4 core types of exercise(08:50) How exercise boosts the brain through 3 key neurotrophic factors(11:55) The unique mental benefits of aerobic exercise, yoga, weightlifting, and sports(15:36) What the data shows about who experiences the strongest mood lift from working out(19:00) Signs your exercise habit is tipping into behavioral addiction(24:48) Step 1: Build a strong foundation with a basic exercise routine(26:34) Step 2: Define your emotional objective and personalize your routine(27:36) Step 3: Aim for high moderation (27:59) Why sunrise walks are an ideal entry point for new exercisers (30:34) Q&A: How do rituals play into improved happiness (31:48) Q&A: How to get the benefits of transcendence as a skeptic (33:20) Q&A: How to find the reason you’re alive—Referenced:• Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1885.html• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN• My 6-Step Morning Protocol for a Better Day: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/my-6-step-morning-protocol-for-a-better-day• Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2020: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm#section_1 • Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 19 August 1785: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-08-02-0319• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠—Production and marketing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For inquiries about sponsorship, email jordan@penname.co