Do you prefer sitting on the couch to work out? This is because

Would you rather sit on the couch than sweat a lot during a gym session? So you are not alone. Where does this feeling of not wanting to exercise come from? We explain it to you.

It’s hard to start exercising

Exercise is good for your physical and mental health, and we all know that. Nevertheless, a large part of the population moves with a new frequency. It’s not something we usually look forward to. How does that happen? Scientists have their theories on this topic.

take it easy

In 2015, the American Daniel Lieberman conducted research on behalf of the eminent Harvard University. This indicates that the aversion to sports goes back centuries. Lieberman discovers that prehistoric people benefited much more from laziness than from movement. Finding enough food and drink every day is very daunting, so it is wise to maintain strength the rest of the time.

Of course, people no longer have to work hard to survive, but even now we still prefer to take things easy on ourselves until we sweat. This has nothing to do with laziness, according to Lieberman, but rather to evolution. After all, machines and technology have only been around for a relatively short time, so we still actually still respond to movement in the same way as our ancestors. Think for yourself: if there was an escalator in addition to a regular staircase, wouldn’t it be tempting to take an elevator?

Reward or reward

Evolution is not the only factor that plays a role in this condition. Your past can also play a role. Have you never loved sports, but do you think you should really run? Then the threshold would probably be much higher, as it might evoke bad memories. The fact that exercise is often imposed as a task can also play a role in impulse inhibition. Beth Frats, who like Lieberman belongs to Harvard, asserts in an article on the subject that simply giving orders does not help people do something. Not even if the orders guarantee better health. According to Frits, people need instant rewards and of course we do not achieve better health after going to the gym.

Read also: 30 Minutes No Workout: This Is How You Do It

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According to a 2014 study, how high your threshold to start exercising may also depend on your parents. According to an American study from 2014 (text in english) Children of people who like to run, for example, may prefer sports themselves. Small side note: The study looked at offspring of mice with a clear tendency to run. So the results of the research are not based on people’s experiences.

add motion

There can be many reasons why it is difficult to move. Don’t find it the best thing, but would you like to do more exercise? Then try to do this with someone. We humans are true group animals and love to do things together. Moreover, we like to help each other and we don’t like to let others down. By playing sports with two or more people, you are actually making a natural stick behind the door. The American researcher Daniel Lieberman in the above study also approaches it this way: he goes for a run with someone in the morning, because he believes that he simply cannot disappoint the other person by staying in bed.

If you can’t move with someone, joining a gym may also be an idea.

(Source: Harvard University, Quest, The Washington Post, University of Southern California, Journal of Physiology/Photo: Shutterstock)

Megan Vasquez

"Creator. Coffee buff. Internet lover. Organizer. Pop culture geek. Tv fan. Proud foodaholic."

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