You’re Not Lazy…It’s Biology!
Does anyone really like to exercise? Okay, you may like picking up weights, but who loves cardio? If it’s not you, you’re in good company. Does that mean you’re lazy? Not necessarily.
Anthropology professor Daniel Lieberman of Harvard University has spent years studying hunter-gathering tribes worldwide. In Leiberman’s book, Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding[1], his conclusion from living with modern hunter-gatherer tribes and studying ancient cultures is:
For generation after generation, our ancestors young
and old woke up each morning thankful to be alive
and with no choice but to spend several hours walking,
digging, and doing other physical activities to survive
to the next day.
Sometimes they also played or danced for enjoyment
and social reasons.
Otherwise, they generally steered clear of nonessential
physical activities that divert energy from the only
thing evolution really cares about: reproduction.
For most of human history, we needed to conserve energy, not needlessly burn it. When ancient humans weren’t actively securing their survival, they rested. The whole concept of trying to build excess muscle or exercising to burn extra calories is a modern concept that our ancient ancestors would find totally foreign. Humans evolved to survive in scarcity, but we now exist in a world of abundance.
Exercise is good for us. There are literally hundreds of benefits of exercising. Cardio strengthens our heart and lungs. Building and maintaining muscle is crucial as we age. We also feel better after we exercise (thank you dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins!). Knowing all this, why is it so hard to get off the couch?
Because we’re fighting against biology. Modern humans don’t need to exercise anymore. Hungry? No need to go hunt for food. We can simply summon Skip the Dishes. Need to get somewhere? We no longer have only our feet for getting from one place to another, but cars and public transportation. Unless we’re being chased by a wild boar or need to swim to shore after falling off a boat, none of us need to exercise specifically to survive. In truth, we can now survive a long time even if we’re unhealthy and inactive.
So why exercise at all? It’s emotionally rewarding. It’s physically rewarding. We might run for the dopamine hit, or strength train because it leaves us feeling empowered. We exercise to lose weight, fit into certain clothes, or because we don’t want to die of a heart attack at a young age like our parent did.
That’s all well and good, but the truth is our lazy brains would rather conserve energy than expend it. We have to convince ourselves that the benefits of exercise outweigh the negatives.
So how can we do that?
Make exercise more rewarding, physically and mentally. Join a gym! Or a running club, dance class, or martial arts. Why? Because socializing is a huge part of what makes us happy and fulfilled as human beings. Sweating together is a great way to make a connection.
Reframe how you think about exercise. Instead of worrying about calories burned, focus on exercising as a way to make you feel better! Listen to your favourite podcasts while working out. Treat your daily walk as a meditation. Run a 5k to raise money for a worthy cause. Think about YOUR BIG WHY. Why am I exercising? To be role model for your kids, or so you can be around to see your grandkids graduate high school.
(And don’t forget that wanting to look good naked is still a viable motivator for many, even if we might not want to admit it. )
Exercise doesn’t have to feel like exercise. You don’t have to spend all day every day grinding it out at the gym or running on a treadmill. Dancing, walking, hiking, swimming, sports, and even yoga are fun ways to get our bodies moving.
Remember, while exercise is no longer necessary for our immediate survival, and while we didn’t evolve to want to exercise to burn excess calories, moving our bodies can be hugely rewarding.
See you at the gym!
(This blog is a summary of a June 17, 2024 article What to Do if You DON’T Like to Exercise by Steve Kamb of NERDFitness and can be read in full www.nerdfitness.com.)
[1] Lieberman’s book can be purchased at https://www.amazon.ca/Exercised-Something-Evolved-Healthy-Rewarding/dp/1524746983
