Moving your body and being with people you like are the two most reliable things for feeling well. Doing both at once is not a trick, it is just efficient.

What the research says

In a study of university students, the link between exercise and wellbeing ran partly through body image and self esteem rather than through fitness alone, so how you come to see yourself is part of the route. It was cross sectional and cannot show the order of events. It does suggest that the psychological and social side of moving is part of the effect, not a bonus on top.

Strength of evidence: one line of research. A single study, or a theoretical account.