Genetics actually works for us and against us in an invisible pattern that we still have little understanding of. Only recently have we started discovering that there are certain genetic patterns that will give us a certain predisposition or propensity for physical and mental illness. This can feel a bit overwhelming as you ponder the accumulation of potential stacked issues you might have accumulated since before you were even conceived. However, you also might have good genetic markers as well, so perhaps they wash out.
Anyway, there has been recent scientific evidence that we can do certain things to offset genetic vulnerability. One of those is movement. In a recent study by He et al., researchers analyzed 23,517 adults with whole-genome sequencing, electronic health records, and long-term Fitbit data, averaging 582 days of wear. Higher genetic risk predicted diagnosis, while more steps and moderate-to-vigorous activity predicted lower risk.
Now, this is far from conclusive, but this does indicate that movement does have an impact and that impact can offset a tendency toward things like depression. You remember when your mom would tell you to go outside? Well, maybe she had a point. The more you move around, the less likely these tendencies that you may have been born with will surface.
This strikes close to home. I keep close track of my mood swings, my feelings of well-being, and my health vitals. As I have been monitoring this, I have noticed a strong trend, which is that when I am running more often, especially outdoors, I have an uptick in my mood. The pattern is undeniable and repeats frequently. Now that is interesting to hear, because I view running as work most of the time, which according to this pattern I think I need to view it as something completely different.
The real takeaway here isn’t about forcing yourself to feel a certain way, or even about cracking some secret code to happiness. It’s more about noticing what happens when you just do things. When you move, when you get outside, when you engage with the world in a physical way, it often just shifts things. It’s not a magic bullet, and it won’t erase every tough day, but it’s a pretty reliable lever. And sometimes, that’s all you need: a simple, accessible way to nudge things in a better direction.
