Thinking About Death Encourages Exercise

Readers who are still searching for a motivational concept to keep them exercising should think about this: death. That’s the conclusion of researchers at the University of Missouri, who reviewed dozens of studies on the psychological effects of contemplating death. A university new release reports that the studies revealed that conscious thoughts of death can inspire intentions to exercise more, and that keeping mortality in mind can reduce smoking and increase sunscreen use. Even subconscious awareness of death appears to influence behavior. In one experiment, passers-by who had recently overheard conversations mentioning the value of helping were more likely to help strangers if they were walking within sight of cemeteries. Read more from the University of Missouri. Read the study here.