New research from the University of British Columbia has shown that the human brain is hardwired for laziness.
It set out to find out why, despite knowing the risks associated with physical inactivity, people still chose to live a sedentary lifestyle.
Published in the journal Neuropsychoelogia, the UBC study indicates that "additional brain resources are required to escape a general attraction toward sedentary behaviours."
In other words, people are genetically predisposed to be couch potatoes, and therefore find it extremely difficult to take action.
Photo: Woman sleeping with cat / Shutterstock
Specifically, the study found that the human brain has to work harder to make healthier and more physical choices. So, while some participants opted to make these choices, their brains had to exert more energy to do so.
The study sat particpants in front of a computer, where they were flashed small images of physical activity or physical inactivity. From here, they had to move their avatar toward the physically active images and away from the inactive ones. Following this, they did the reverse, moving the avatar toward the physically inactive images, cites News Medical Life Sciences.
So, the next time you hear someone lamenting that, "the struggle is real," you may want to take their word for it.
It really is!
