Love or Hate Exercise? It May Be in Your Genes

Don’t like to exercise? Can’t get revved up about pumping up your muscles? Well, then, according to a new study reported by CBSNews.com, you can blame those lazy feelings on your genes, which can interfere with the release of dopamine, a brain chemical associated with feelings of motivation, pleasure and well-being.

And when those feelings say you’d rather stay in bed than get moving, then you may find yourself pressing the snooze alarm and going about your day sans exercise … or not. Because, really, you don’t HAVE to listen to the part of you that doesn’t want to move. Instead, here are some ideas for getting excited about exercise. Begin with a plan. Think about what it is you want to achieve with an exercise program.

Also reframe your ideas about exercise: You probably want to exercise to improve your health and/or lose weight. However, research shows that such expectations actually do not propel most people into forming healthy exercise habits. So instead, focus on the IMMEDIATE reward, which is how great you feel right after exercising, and focus on that good feeling to keep you motivated.

Next, make one change at a time and build on each change, for example: Vow to sit as little as possible because this one factor is an independent risk for poor health and premature death. Even if you have a desk job, there are exercises you can do right there in a very small amount of time, including desk pushups, squats, lunges and more.