Everyone knows exercise is good for you. It keeps your weight in check, makes you stronger, helps you feel younger, and gives you more energy.

More importantly, though, exercise also makes you happier. While you may think having abs, or biceps, or nice calves, will make you happy, those things in of themselves are not what will ultimately make you happy. For one, those things won’t make your problems go away. Saying that abs and biceps and calves will make you happy makes happiness based on certain conditions. That sets you up for inevitable disappointment.

Happiness, rather, is an outlook on life. It’s a way of looking at things. It’s gratitude for what you have and not coveting things you don’t have. It’s looking at the glass half-full.

How do you improve your outlook on life? You guessed it — exercise. Everyone knows that science has shown that exercise releases happy chemicals into your brain. Likewise, everyone knows that exercise relieves stress. It boosts confidence, eases anxiety, and fights insomnia. In short, exercise makes you feel good physically. When you feel good, your outlook on life naturally improves.

So get out there and get moving. High-five your trainer and pat your exercise partners on the back!

We just finished the month of May, which according to a Gallup survey, is the happiest month of the year. Do you know the second happiest month? June!

Happy June!

Oh, and it’s Friday, the undisputed happiest day of the week!