#wellbeingthroughactivity — Public Fediverse posts

DATE: September 16, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

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TITLE: Higher emotional intelligence is tied to vigorous exercise in women

URL: https://www.psypost.org/higher-emotional-intelligence-is-tied-to-vigorous-exercise-in-women/

A large new study reveals that emotional intelligence is linked to distinct physical activity habits in women, but not in men. Women with higher emotional intelligence scores tended to engage in more vigorous exercise and spend less time sitting, while these associations were absent among male participants. The research was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

Emotional intelligence refers to a person’s ability to perceive, regulate, and effectively use their own emotions as well as the emotions of others. High emotional intelligence is often associated with better psychological well-being, social functioning, and resilience to stress. Emerging evidence suggests that these emotional skills are also tied to biological aging and daily habits, including how people manage their health.

Regular physical activity is widely recognized as a foundation for both mental and physical health across the human lifespan. Health behaviors like exercise, sleep, and sedentary routines influence emotional regulation through shared biological pathways in the brain and the endocrine system. Specifically, the autonomic nervous system and regions of the brain involved in processing emotions respond to the physiological demands of exercise.

Despite this recognized connection, researchers have lacked detailed information on how emotional intelligence relates to specific intensities of exercise. Most previous epidemiological studies have focused on general mental health outcomes or moderate-intensity activities. Vigorous physical activity, such as running or heavy weightlifting, presents unique regulatory demands because it repeatedly induces acute physical stress followed by recovery. This cycle of stress and recovery is thought to strengthen the body’s overall stress-adaptation mechanisms.

Public health researchers Albertas Skurvydas, Daiva Majauskiene, and their colleagues at Vytautas Magnus University and Klaipeda University in Lithuania designed a study to examine these relationships. They aimed to determine how emotional intelligence relates to various physical activity intensities, sedentary behavior, sleep, and body mass index. The research team also wanted to see if these behavioral associations varied by age or sex, given that men and women often display different patterns in both emotional processing and exercise habits.

The researchers recruited a large sample of 6,368 adults in Lithuania, ranging in age from 18 to 64. Women made up about 71 percent of the survey participants. The researchers used a cross-sectional design, meaning they collected data from the participants at a single point in time rather than tracking them over months or years. Participants completed questionnaires distributed through social media platforms, providing self-reported data on their daily routines and demographic backgrounds.

To measure emotional intelligence, the participants completed the 33-item Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test. This widely used psychological tool asks individuals to rate their agreement with statements about how they manage their own feelings and react to the emotions of others. Higher total scores indicate a greater capacity for emotional perception and regulation.

The research team assessed exercise habits using the Danish Physical Activity Questionnaire. Participants recalled their activities over an average 24-hour period within the previous week. The researchers categorized these activities by intensity using metabolic equivalents, a standard metric that estimates the energy expenditure of different physical tasks compared to a resting state.

Activities were grouped into categories ranging from sedentary time to light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity. The researchers also calculated each participant’s body mass index based on self-reported height and weight.

After analyzing the survey responses, the researchers identified distinct age and sex patterns. Emotional intelligence scores increased with age for both men and women. Overall, women exhibited higher emotional intelligence scores than men and engaged in more light-intensity physical activity. Men, on average, had a higher body mass index and reported substantially more time spent engaged in vigorous physical activity.

The researchers then used statistical models to look for independent associations between emotional intelligence and specific health behaviors. Among women, higher emotional intelligence scores were linked to a greater amount of time spent doing vigorous physical activity. Women with higher emotional intelligence also reported less sedentary behavior. These associations held true across the entire adult age range studied.

The behavioral results for men were entirely different. Among male participants, age was the only factor positively associated with emotional intelligence. The researchers found no statistically significant links between a man’s emotional intelligence and his sleep duration, sedentary time, or participation in any intensity of physical activity.

When comparing the two groups directly, the statistical models confirmed that the association between vigorous physical activity and emotional intelligence was markedly stronger in women than in men. The data showed no corresponding interaction with age. This indicates that the relationship between intense exercise and emotional regulation in women did not fade or intensify as they got older.

The study relies entirely on cross-sectional data, which means it cannot determine the direction of the relationship between emotional intelligence and physical activity. Individuals with higher emotional intelligence might be more motivated to engage in demanding exercise, or the repeated physiological stress of vigorous activity might help train emotional regulation systems over time. It is also possible that a bidirectional relationship exists, where both factors continually reinforce one another.

The use of self-reported questionnaires introduces the possibility of reporting bias. Participants might have overestimated their physical activity levels or provided answers that they believed were socially desirable on the emotional intelligence assessment. This shared method of data collection can sometimes inflate the apparent associations between different variables.

The authors note that the observed associations, while present, were small in magnitude. The behavioral factors measured in the study explain only a limited portion of the total variance in emotional intelligence scores. Additionally, the recruitment method via social media may have attracted individuals who are already more health-conscious than the general population. Because the study was conducted entirely in Lithuania, the results might not fully generalize to populations in other cultural or socioeconomic environments.

Future research will need to employ longitudinal designs to track how changes in physical activity habits influence emotional intelligence over time. Experimental studies could also help determine whether modifying a person’s exercise routine directly alters their emotional regulation capabilities across the adult lifespan. Such studies would clarify whether behavioral interventions can effectively support emotional functioning.

The study, “Higher emotional intelligence is linked to greater vigorous physical activity and lower sedentary behavior, specifically among women across adulthood,” was authored by Albertas Skurvydas, Ausra Lisinskiene, Aiste Barbora Uspuriene, Egle Kemeryte-Ivanauskiene, Dovile Valanciene, Asta Sarkauskiene, Jurga Bucaite-Vilke, and Daiva Majauskiene.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/higher-emotional-intelligence-is-tied-to-vigorous-exercise-in-women/

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