Flex Your Gratitude Muscles - Oxygen Magazine


Don’t just count your reps, count your blessings! Science says that giving thanks can do a lot more than change your outlook; it can benefit your body, health and even the number on the scale. Read on for the crazy-awesome perks of practicing gratitude, plus tips to cultivate more of it.

Exercise More

Giving thanks can get you to the gym — and keep you going. A study by the University of California, Davis, found that gratitude-givers exercised an average of 1.5 hours more per week.

Bonus! Think of exercise as a gift you’ve been given rather than a chore you must do, and you’ll be less likely to fall off the workout wagon.

Sleep Better

Forget sheep; count your blessings! According to a study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, spending just 15 minutes a night jotting down grateful sentiments can make you sleep better and longer.

Bonus! Better sleep means more workout hours logged and less cravings.

You’re Grateful — Say It!

“Gratitude is good medicine,” says Robert Emmons, Ph.D., psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, author of Thanks!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier. Studies have linked the practice of gratitude to lower blood pressure, lower levels of bad cholesterol and even improved immune function.





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