Why it's so hard to find motivation to exercise: According to Harvard, it's not about laziness

The difficulty many people face in incorporating exercise into their routine "may not be linked to laziness, but to ancestral behavior." This is according to Daniel E. Lieberman , a professor at Harvard University who studies how evolution shaped humans' relationship with physical activity.

In his book Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding , the scholar explains that our bodies evolved to move only when necessary, not to perform voluntary exercise for healthy purposes, such as running marathons or practicing triathlons.

According to Infobae , humans are biologically predisposed to avoid unnecessary exertion . Based on more than a decade of scientific research, the expert asserts that human biology is better suited for moderate exertion than for extreme practices.

Lieberman explained in an interview with The Harvard Gazette: “We’re asking people to do something that’s inherently abnormal. We evolved to move when necessary, not to engage in voluntary physical activity to improve our health,” he says.

According to Infobae , Lieberman believes the idea of ​​exercise would be "crazy" in evolutionary terms, since expending energy isn't advantageous. "If you were an active hunter-gatherer or a subsistence farmer, it wouldn't make sense to run five miles in the morning if it wasn't essential," he adds.

Avoiding unnecessary effort was crucial for survival for thousands of years. However, this instinct today becomes an obstacle in a world where physical activity is no longer essential for obtaining resources. “It's important not to judge people as 'lazy.' They're not; they're just being normal,” he says.

• “Don’t be angry with yourself”

Don't feel bad for not wanting to exercise, but learn to recognize these instincts so you can overcome them. When I get up in the morning to go for a run, it's often cold and I feel miserable, and I don't feel like exercising. My brain often tells me all sorts of reasons why I should put it off. Sometimes I have to force myself to get out the door. My point here is to be compassionate with yourself and understand that those little voices in your head are normal and that all of us, even "exercise junkies," struggle with them. One key to exercising is to overcome them.

• “Make it fun, but also make it social.”

Lieberman points out that our ancestors were physically active primarily out of necessity or for social enjoyment, so he recommends replicating those approaches. “Most of our ancestors went out hunting or gathering every day because otherwise they would starve to death. The other times they were physically active were for fun activities, like dancing or playing games and sports,” he explains. That's why he encourages joining a group when planning any type of exercise.

• “Don’t worry about time and quantity”

“There's a myth that we evolved to be perpetually active, run marathons, and be so massive that we can lift giant boulders with ease. The truth is far from that,” he recalls, explaining that a little daily exercise is enough, without needing to aspire to run marathons or triathlons.