Physical Activity and Happiness - Essay Example

Physical activity and happiness affiliation The problem that will be addressed is that physical inactivity can have a large effect on a person’s degree of happiness. According to research done by Huang and Humphreys, (2010) physical activity among adolescents is a positive action to engage in, and it often makes adolescents happier and less stressed. As stated by Molijord, Moksnes, Eriksen & Espnes (2011), it is also vital to note that a positive feeling on physical activities can have a positive impact on a person`s degree of physical activity.

According to research done by Huang and Humphreys, (2010), physical activity among adolescents is a positive action to engage in, and it often makes adolescents happier and less stressed. Many types of research have supported evidence of how physical activity affects happiness levels, by saying that physical activity is strongly associated with a more positive outlook, and this leads to a happy mood (Huang and Humphreys, 2010; Molijord, Moksnes, Eriksen & Espnes, 2011; Smith and Biddle, 2008). In a research study conducted by Wang et al. (2012), it was explained that happiness can have a large influence on mental health.

Being unhappy, on the other hand, can be detrimental to someone’s general well-being and the consequent dissatisfaction. There is evidence to indicate that many people are physically inactive. This trend, of physical inactivity, will result in more health-related problems as compared to people who are physically active (Huang and Humphreys, 2010). Moreover, there is a gap in terms of adequate information to address the problem of physical inactivity. This research will seek to investigate the problem of physical inactivity and come up with recommendations on how to increase the level of physical activity.

The population that will be targeted in this study will comprise college students aged 18-22 years old. This group will be targeted because it comprises individuals who are energized and should be very active in every scope of daily activities. Additionally, this group of individuals can be recruited for the study from their colleges with ease because they are easily accessible. The setting for this type of research would probably be the Washington State University campus recreation center, using a survey based on exercise habits and levels of happiness before and after physical activity, measured on a particular scale.

The existing research on this topic supports our hypothesis that a greater amount of physical activity could make a person happier. There has also been some interesting research done by Wang (2012) who claims that the opposite of the hypothesis could also be true, saying that happiness could lead to increased levels of physical activity. Various researches have been done revealed that increased levels of physical activity result in an elevated degree of happiness (reference)Some of the key terms used that should be defined would include physical activity, which is defined as the movement of the body that requires using energy.

Happiness, another key term that will be looked at can be defined as a positive feeling about something or having feelings of enjoyment when thinking about one’s life. Increased happiness is a higher level than before of joy and positive feelings when reflecting on life (Reference) Distinguished definitions for what levels of physical activity there are and a description of each level should also be defined later on, which includes explanations of what constitutes as high levels of physical activity and low levels of physical activity.

The purpose of this study was to determine if college-age students are happier when they engage in increased physical activities. There has been quite a bit of evidence supporting this claim. This research can indicate that it is important to maintain mental health through happiness since adolescence and college-aged persons are at their peak times to develop good habits when it comes to physical activity (Schöppe, Bauman, and Bull, 2004). According to Schöppe, Bauman, and Bull (2004), it is revealed that physical activity involves sporting activities and training exercises, which are very essential in promoting physical fitness, and hence, good health.

When the health of a person is good, there are high chances of a happy mood. When society is actively engaged in physical activity, the probability of crime involvement will drastically go down; the youths will be imparted with life skills, goals will be achieved as well as diminishing obesity levels (Schöppe, Bauman, and Bull, 2004). It is reported that exercises and sports correlate with joy or happiness in people. Physical activity is also said to enhance socialization skills, which are vital in building social bonds (Smith and Biddle, 2008).

Consequently, the bond will lead to happiness in the participants not just once but throughout their lives (Schöppe, Bauman, and Bull, 2004). It is therefore very prudent for individuals to participate in physical activity in order to improve their quality of life and general happiness as supported by basic research.