The temporal dynamics of the association between daily physical activity and life satisfaction

Life satisfaction (LS) is increasingly recognized as a crucial indicator and predictor of health and well-being across the lifespan. The impact of LS may be enhanced through physical activity (PA), although studies exploring the dynamic and bidirectional nature of the relationship are scarce. One principal goal of this project is to examine the dynamic, personalized interactions between LS and PA and exercise identity (the degree to which exercise is a fundamental aspect of one’s self-concept) in geographic areas with different air pollution loads.

We used data from a 12-month prospective cohort study (N =1314, mean age =38.09 [12.55]; range 18-65) with four 2-week intensive measurement bursts to evaluate the bidirectional relationship between LS (assessed at the end of the day) and PA (assessed by Fitbit Charge 3 or 4 throughout the day). The sample included both active (runners; n =747, 57%) and inactive (n =567, 43%) individuals living in Moravia-Silesia and South Bohemia, geographic areas with different levels of air pollution. A dynamic Bayesian model based on an extension of the vector autoregressive model was used to estimate both lagged and contemporaneous associations between LS and PA.

There were meaningful autoregressive effects of first order for both LS (β = 0.394) and PA (β = 0.316), and a within-person contemporaneous association between LS and PA (β = 0.087) that was also associated with temporal factors and trends (weekly and monthly seasonal variation, day in study), gender, age, and exercise identity.

This study highlights the importance of periodicity on 2 temporal scales for both PA and LS, with age and gender also playing crucial roles. The findings underscore the importance of tailored, context-aware interventions to sustain engagement and enhance well-being through PA.