Daily physical activity and mood influence each other

University of Texas at Arlington researcher Yue Liao contributed to an international study showing that changes in people's physical activity-whether light or moderate-are closely linked to changes in their mood throughout the day.

The study analyzed more than 8,000 participants and 320,000 mood ratings across 67 datasets. Researchers found that people felt happier, more energetic and more positive shortly after being more active than usual. The pattern also worked in reverse: when people felt better than usual, they were more likely to be physically active soon afterward.

Dr. Liao, assistant professor of kinesiology and director of the Physical Activity and Wearable Sensors Lab at UT Arlington, was among more than 50 contributors to the article published in Nature's Human Behavior. The findings are linked to Liao's previous research showing that participants who engaged in light activity-such as walking or doing chores-instead of sitting felt better and more energized the next day.

Why does physical activity bring so many benefits?

Liao: Physical activity can trigger immediate physiological and psychological responses. When you move, different parts of your body start to react and respond, even if you don't feel it right away. As this study suggests, physical activity can also lead to immediate improvements in mood.

Physical activity is often associated with intense workouts. How is it defined in this study?

Liao: Physical activity is not limited to structured workouts. We captured everyday bodily movement through wearable sensors. This can include both moderate- and low-intensity movements such as going on walks, climbing stairs and doing housework.

What do these findings mean for people trying to improve their daily well-being?

Liao: You don't need a gym session to feel better. An increase above your own usual activity level will bring mood-enhancing benefits, especially by helping you feel more energetic. Think about it as competing against yourself instead of others. Understand your own baseline and gradually add more steps or active minutes.

What was it like working on a project that brought together experts from around the world and across different fields?

Liao: It was amazing to see so many researchers from different countries interested in the same questions. Usually in large studies, lead authors would just pull data from published studies and start analysis without letting the authors of those studies know about it. In this study, the lead authors contacted each study team directly. We all provided our study data and discussed the findings together. It truly reflected global collaboration-even if it meant your inbox never slept. I am very happy to see the findings about physical activity and mood are consistent across demographics and regions.