Meta-Analysis Links Daily Physical Activity to Affective Well-Being Measures

A meta-analysis combined individual-level records from 67 datasets to examine links between physical activity and affective well-being. The records covered 8,223 participants who wore accelerometers and supplied repeated smartphone ratings. Collection continued through December 2023.

Researchers aggregated nearly 1 million hours of device-measured activity with 321,345 momentary well-being ratings. One-stage and two-stage participant-level meta-analyses quantified short-term associations in both temporal directions. Correlations remained small yet consistent across the sample.

Within individuals, activity showed positive ties to energetic arousal, positive affective states, and valence. The same records indicated a negative link to calmness. Between individuals, activity aligned with higher positive affective states.

Effect sizes matched those seen for other routine daily behaviors, with energetic arousal displaying the largest relation. Sociodemographic variables accounted for part of the differences observed across participants. Heterogeneity remained substantial even after these adjustments.

The analysis focused on incidental activity in natural settings rather than structured exercise sessions. Smartphone diaries captured affective states in real time, reducing recall bias present in earlier questionnaire studies.

Results can inform revisions to health behavior theories that treat affective well-being as a driver of activity patterns. Further work may identify physiological or neural pathways that underlie the observed associations.