Why Do Happy People Exercise More? The Role of Beliefs in the Psychosocial Benefits of Exercise

Abstract Recent studies indicate a robust relationship between subjective well-being (SWB) and exercise behavior. Past research has successfully uncovered various mechanisms through which exercise boosts SWB. However, little is known about how SWB influences exercise. The present research proposes that SWB affects individuals’ beliefs about exercise benefits, which in turn impact their exercise behavior. In particular, we hypothesize that happier individuals believe in both the psychosocial benefits (i.e., benefiting one’s emotional, cognitive, and social health) and physical benefits of exercise more than less happy individuals, with a larger gap in psychosocial benefits (Hypothesis 1). Furthermore, we hypothesize that beliefs about psychosocial (vs. physical) benefits play a more significant mediating role in the relationship between happiness and exercise (Hypothesis 2). We tested the hypotheses across three studies involving 997 participants from the United States and South Korea. Studies 1 and 2 developed and validated a scale to measure both the psychosocial and physical benefits of exercise. Study 3 tested and confirmed the mediation hypothesis. The findings suggest that happier individuals exercise more, primarily because they perceive psychosocial benefits more. We discuss the implications, limitations, and potential avenues for future research.