The Physical Movement, Lifestyle: Our Brain Is Conditioned To Take The Easy Route!

Why is it so hard to get in our regular workouts?

Because it’s easier not to!!!

The research proves it!

A study published recently* asked the very question, that with all that we know, why is it so many don’t exercise. See the article below.

The answer is the easy route one.

But the consequences are grave if we don’t get our regular activity.

But don’t fret! It is not laziness, it is more about brain chemistry!

We also over complicate and over analyze and over rationalize as a result.

Let’s start at the beginning.

· A gym is great but not needed if you want to get your exercise in. A walk will suffice. Daily walks will help more than you think. Throw in a forearm plank for 30 seconds. Boom!

Yours truly performing simple forearm plank: can be done anywhere anytime. (But your brain will try to convince you not to!)

· Time is a factor. Taking an hour out of your day seems to be challenge. So why not introduce micro workouts? 10–20 minute bursts a few times per day? That will do the trick. There you go. Walk & plank is block 1 , day 1. Boom!

· What to do is a factor. This is especially true if over 40. Most of you youngsters will try just about anything!

(Many of us over 40 folks are a little more hesitant and cautious. We have lived with the consequences of the “watch this” event performed a few years ago!!)

“The internet says this”, “so and so said that”.

“No pain, no gain”.

“Lifting weights, don’t lift weights?”.

“High intensity interval training is good”, “no its not good if you are over 40 or 50” etc. etc.

Empower yourself on the simple things, it can make all the difference!

1. Block off 1 x 15 minute chunk of time per day. Build up to 2x per day.

2. Do simple things. Progress.

3. Get a resource that can help you sift through the clutter of information.

4. Keep it simple!

Daily mobility, regular 2–3 times per week on balance, strength and intervals will do the trick.

I have studied movement coaches and trainers and their formula is very similar to the above with some of the top athletes in the world, except the dosage is different to what’s appropriate for you and me.

Coaches teach their athletes to understand and recognize that their brain may resist training today, but they have to if they want to be at their best. That is the business athletes are and coaches are in: being at their best!

Athletes are taught to overcome the tendency of the brain to push for the easy route!

We have the same tendency.

Kind of like that voice on the GPS saying turn left here, when you know you don’t want to turn here! (The last time the GPS said that I was in the middle of Kansas and the GPS insisted the dirt road was the way to go. I refused, and got back on the preferred route 3 minutes later! See that story in my confessions of a baseball dad coming to Amazon shortly …lol)

Back to topic at hand:

Keep it simple. Understand, that from an evolutionary perspective, your brain wants to conserve energy and NOT DO THE ACTIVITY you know you need to do!

Once you get past that, you got this!

Your brain won’t mind!!

*Here is the article referenced above: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/09/21/you-really-really-want-to-go-to-the-gym-but-still-avoid-it-new-research-may-explain-why/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6b9ea5cf7eaf

This article was originally posted at https://athleticover40.com/our-brains-are-conditioned-to-choose-the-easy-route/