Joy of Movement, The

Exercise is health-enhancing and life-extending, yet it feels like a chore to many. But as Kelly McGonigal reveals, it doesn't have to be. Movement can and should be a source of joy. Through her trademark blend of science and storytelling, McGonigal draws on insights from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, as well as memoirs, ethnographies, and philosophers. She shows how movement is intertwined with some of the most basic human joys and why it is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. McGonigal illustrates her findings with stories of people who have found fulfilment and belonging through activities like running, walking, dancing, swimming and weightlifting. Her examples span the globe, from a hunter-gatherer tribe in Tanzania, to a dance class at Juilliard for people with Parkinson's disease, to volunteers in London combining fitness and community service, athletes pushing the limits of human endure with races in the wilderness. The result is a revolutionary narrative that goes beyond familiar arguments in favour of exercise, and highlights the human capacity for hope, cooperation, and self-transcendence, complete with guidance on how readers can harness the power of movement in their own lives and communities.