The Joy of Movement, Kelly McGonigal
The Joy of Movement, Kelly McGonigal
3 Rating(s)
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The Joy of Movement
How exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection, and courage

Author: Kelly McGonigal

Narrator: Kelly McGonigal

Unabridged: 7 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 12/31/2019


Synopsis

The bestselling author of The Willpower Instinct introduces a surprising science-based book that doesn't tell us why we should exercise but instead shows us how to fall in love with movement.

Exercise is health-enhancing and life-extending, yet many of us feel it's a chore. 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, including self-expression, social connection, and mastery--and why it is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

McGonigal tells the stories of people who have found fulfillment and belonging through running, walking, dancing, swimming, weightlifting, and more, with examples that span the globe, from Tanzania, where one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes on the planet live, to a dance class at Juilliard for people with Parkinson's disease, to the streets of London, where volunteers combine fitness and community service, to races in the remote wilderness, where athletes push the limits of what a human can endure. Along the way, McGonigal paints a portrait of human nature that highlights our capacity for hope, cooperation, and self-transcendence.

The result is a revolutionary narrative that goes beyond familiar arguments in favor of exercise, to illustrate why movement is integral to both our happiness and our humanity. Readers will learn what they can do in their own lives and communities to harness the power of movement to create happiness, meaning, and connection.

About The Author

Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., is a research psychologist, a lecturer at Stanford University, and an award-winning science writer. She is the author of the international bestseller The Willpower Instinct, The Upside of Stress, and Yoga for Pain Relief. Her work has been published in twenty-eight languages. Since 2000, she has taught dance, yoga, and group exercise in the San Francisco Bay Area.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Laurie

It is quite possible that my impression of this book was impacted by the book I just completed reading, another science-focused text that also included stories of the people behind the science as well as the people impacted by the science. My hope was for The Joy of Movement to be of similar quality......more

Goodreads review by Karen

I am lucky enough to have taken several of Kelly McGonigal's Psychology classes and I have always been a huge fan. When I saw this book was coming out, I knew I would read it no matter what and I knew it would be fantastic no matter what. And it was. It's chock full of research about how movement can......more

Goodreads review by Moh.

Well written book on scientific aspects of exercise.How movement brings us hope,meaning and connection. Recent studies have shown that a long run greatly increases levels of endocannabinoids in our brain. These are a class of chemicals, and cannabis mimics the effects of them on the brain. Endocannab......more

Goodreads review by Robyn

Ugh this book made me so mad. Nothing in here that couldn’t be just as easily found in a Buzzfeed listicle “10 Reasons Exercise Makes Your Life Better” and tons of self-congratulatory prose on how Kelly McGonigal is SUCH a great exerciser! If you want to be inspired and energized by the power of move......more


Quotes

"Part scientific exploration, part inspirational story, part intimate love letter to physical activity, The Joy of Movement reveals how what many consider as just 'exercise' is actually so much more—a pathway to not only physical and mental health, but also love, connection, and community. Kelly has written a fascinating book that is a must-read for everyone, really."—Brad Stulberg, bestselling author of Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox; columnist at Outside Magazine

"As someone who has long believed that we were born to run, I was fascinated by Kelly McGonigal’s account of a much broader truth: We were born to move. Threading together unexpected insights from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, philosophy, and more, The Joy of Movement makes a compelling scientific case for the role of exercise in promoting pleasure, social connection, and hope."—Alex Hutchinson, New York Times-bestselling author of Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

"I love this book. Kelly McGonigal brings us to the cutting edge of exercise neuroscience that greatly expands our understanding."—John J. Ratey, MD, author of SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School

"This book reminded me that no matter what injuries or obstacles I have to overcome, I can always find joy in movement, and I am stronger than I realize!"—Jessie Graff, American Ninja Warrior competitor and Action Icon Award Stuntwoman of the Year