Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 10, 2025

Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease

Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease

Published on: August 22, 2014

The Inner Road to Happiness: A Narrative Review Exploring the Interoceptive Benefits of Exercise for Well-Being

¹Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)

|August 28, 2025

Abstract

Background:

Interoception, the multifaceted perception of internal bodily signals, is crucial for homeostasis, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. Physical exercise significantly influences interoceptive mechanisms through its varied physiological, neurobiological, and psychological impacts. Despite its potential to enhance this internal sensing across its dimensions and foster adaptive behaviors like self-regulation, exercise remains an underutilized therapeutic approach.

Objective:

This narrative review explores the current understanding of the interplay between exercise and interoception, examining its resulting impact on both mental and physical health.

Method:

A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed using keywords such as "interoception," "exercise," and "well-being." Article selection prioritized empirical studies, reviews, and influential theoretical papers. The synthesis of the literature was performed through a thematic analysis, structured around three primary mechanisms: physiological changes, neurobiological adaptations, and psychological benefits.

Key Findings:

Engaging in exercise improves interoceptive function by inducing physiological changes, fostering neurobiological adaptations, and yielding psychological advantages such as reduced stress. This enhancement in internal bodily sensing, encompassing its various dimensions, and promotion of adaptive behaviors has notable consequences for well-being.

Conclusions And Future Directions:

Exercise presents a valuable and readily available means to enhance interoceptive processing and encourage adaptive behaviors, with substantial positive implications for well-being throughout life. Future studies should focus on identifying the most effective exercise approaches tailored to individual requirements and exploring their specific impact on different interoceptive dimensions. Integrating exercise into clinical treatment plans and public health strategies offers a promising path to substantially boost well-being.

Keywords:

health promotion interoception mental health physical exercise well-being

More Related Videos

A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats

A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats

Published on: April 28, 2023

Tracking Individual Running Metrics in Mice Using a Voluntary Wheel Running Protocol that Minimizes Social Isolation

Tracking Individual Running Metrics in Mice Using a Voluntary Wheel Running Protocol that Minimizes Social Isolation

Published on: April 18, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Exercise and Muscle Performance

Exercise and Muscle Performance

Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...

Exercise and Cardiovascular Response

Exercise and Cardiovascular Response

Exercise significantly impacts cardiovascular response, which is crucial for understanding patient health and designing effective treatment plans.
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...

Exercise Stress Test

Exercise Stress Test

Introduction
Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
Definition
An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
Purposes

Physiological Foundation of Stress

Physiological Foundation of Stress

Stress triggers a coordinated physiological response involving the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This dual activation ensures that the body is prepared for both immediate and prolonged stress management. The process begins with the perception of a stressor. This initial phase activates the SNS, leading to the rapid release of adrenaline (epinephrine) from the adrenal glands.
Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenaline triggers the...

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III

Regular exercise and meditation serve as essential tools in managing stress and promoting physical and mental well-being.
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...

Psychological Responses to Stress

Psychological Responses to Stress

Psychological responses to stress encompass the various cognitive and emotional reactions individuals experience when faced with challenging or threatening situations, such as a job loss. Prolonged exposure to stressors can disturb emotional balance, increasing negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and sadness) and diminishing positive emotions (e.g., joy and satisfaction). These persistent emotional shifts are associated with an increased risk of both physical illness and mental health issues, such...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Interoceptive grounding of conceptual knowledge: new insight from an interoceptive-exteroceptive categorization task of concepts.

Psychological research·2026

Emotional distress and affective knowledge representation one year after the COVID-19 outbreak.

PloS one·2025

Modeling and controlling the body in maladaptive ways: an active inference perspective on non-suicidal self-injury behaviors.

Neuroscience of consciousness·2023

Mapping the mental space of emotional concepts through kinematic measures of decision uncertainty.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2022

Perception and misperception of bodily symptoms from an active inference perspective: Modelling the case of panic disorder.

Psychological review·2021

Words have a weight: language as a source of inner grounding and flexibility in abstract concepts.

Psychological research·2020

See all related articles