What makes some people so keen to exercise while others will do just about anything to avoid working up a sweat?
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
We all know people who’d rather spend time on the couch than in the gym. Adverse to any activity that puts sweat on their brow, they’re happier lifting a TV remote than a dumbbell.
Recommended Videos
Then there are those who are up and out for a morning run, bike or swim before the rest of us have rolled out of bed. For these active folks, a good day is one that includes a tough workout.
What makes some people so keen to exercise while others will do just about anything to avoid working up a sweat? Researchers have been pondering this question for decades, especially since the consequences of being sedentary are so well-known.
One popular theory is we’re genetically predisposed to taking it easy. Deemed the “law of least effort,” it presumes people naturally avoid unnecessary physical effort based on an evolutionary need to conserve energy for tasks linked to survival. The idea our ancestors passed on the importance of budgeting effort is reinforced by our seemingly innate tendency to take shortcuts, like choosing the escalator instead of the stairs, parking as close to the entrance to the mall as possible and searching out the shortest route to any given destination.
Even among those who revel in a tough workout, the goal to expend less energy is top of mind. Runners, swimmers and cyclists all aspire to extend their limited physical resources by being more economical in their movement patterns.
Further supporting the idea humans are naturally averse to exerting effort is a consistency among study subjects in research settings to prioritize tasks requiring the least amount of energy to complete. So, while the importance of conserving energy may not be as relevant today, the tendency to avoid unnecessary physical effort seems to persist with a compelling argument that even among the most active the drive toward movement economy is never nil.
Effort is also important to the mastery of new skills. Without putting in the effort it takes to learn, civilization wouldn’t have evolved beyond its primitive hunter gatherer lifestyle.
Faced with evidence supporting both the idea we’re programmed to exert effort only when absolutely necessary and that it’s possible to overcome this natural tendency to keep energy in reserve, what determines who’s active and who’s not? Is it truly part of our DNA, or are other factors like subjective experience and the pursuit of a specific goal more likely to play a role when it comes to determining who loves a tough workout and who doesn’t?
One of the most compelling arguments about why some people avoid effort while others seek it is based on whether the experience is rewarding. And while one of the greatest rewards of an active lifestyle is the promise of a longer and healthier life, some people need more immediate incentives to work up a sweat.
The idea effort needs to be incentivized before engaging in challenging tasks suggests the need to make physical activity rewarding. Effort is often linked to success and goal achievement, which builds confidence, self-efficacy and most importantly establishes a positive link between sweat equity and reward.
But not all effort is rewarded. Plenty of people experience failure despite expending energy toward the realization of a goal or task. For some, this type of failure sets the stage for further effort avoidance. Accounts of perceived failures in gym class as a kid or at the local fitness club as an adult, are common reasons why people avoid physical activity.
Another potential mediator against any natural tendency to avoid effort is boredom. A life lived without putting the effort in to learn a new skill or realize a goal is one void of the excitement that centres around achievement-based behaviour and the satisfaction of setting and accomplishing an ambitious objective.
That need for activity, excitement and achievement is reward enough for some to counter the law of least effort. But the association of effort with failure, stress and frustration is what keeps others on the couch. Making exercise worth the effort is key to overcoming any natural tendency toward inactivity. Whether its finding pleasure in the movement or activity itself or looking forward to the sense of accomplishment that occurs upon completion of a workout, there’s plenty of incentive to be active.
Just be careful not to set too ambitious a goal or pursue activities that don’t bring joy, which can lead to a mismatch between effort and success. And don’t wait until you have a health scare for survival mode to kick in. Physical activity offers plenty of rewards, the trick is tapping into those you find most meaningful.