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Exercise and Fitness

The third-space benefits of exercise

Leaving your home to get fit with others amplifies the health benefits.

By , Health Writer
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Happy group of senior women friends with mats walking and talking after doing tai chi exercise outdoors in a park.

If you've ever returned home from a yoga class, a walk with neighbors, or a friendly pickleball game with some extra pep in your step, you've experienced firsthand the mood-boosting benefits of group exercise. What you might not realize is that by gathering with others to move and sweat, you've unknowingly tapped into the power of the "third space."

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About the Author

photo of Leslie Goldman, MPH

Leslie Goldman, MPH, Health Writer

Leslie Goldman is a Chicago-based journalist specializing in women's health. Her writing regularly appears in Prevention, AARP, Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, and more. See Full Bio
View all posts by Leslie Goldman, MPH

About the Reviewer

photo of Stephanie Collier, MD, MPH

Stephanie Collier, MD, MPH, Contributor; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. Stephanie Collier is the director of education in the division of geriatric psychiatry at McLean Hospital; consulting psychiatrist for the population health management team at Newton-Wellesley Hospital; and instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. … See Full Bio
View all posts by Stephanie Collier, MD, MPH
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