If you want to love exercise, keep reading.
I’m going to explain why you currently have to engage in mental warfare to go to the gym.
The molecule responsible is dopamine.
What is Dopamine?
(If you already have a solid understanding of dopamine, move to the next section.)
Dopamine is a neurochemical that I’m sure you’ve heard about. You hear about it a lot in modern society because you’re exposed to a lot of dopamine-inducing stimuli.
Essentially, dopamine is responsible for “seeking” or “wanting” behavior. It makes you chase after things like money and relationships, but also not-so-great things like TV, video games, and donuts.
Every time you engage in something pleasurable, like an amazing vacation, your brain releases dopamine. This signals to your brain that something good has occurred and it should look out for that thing in the future.
Next time you hear someone talking about vacation, your brain will release dopamine, putting you in an excited “seeking” or “wanting” mode. This is your brain’s way of telling you, “Remember that great vacation you had, this might be an opportunity to go on another one.”
This applies to even simpler things, like coffee. When you drink coffee for the first time you hate it, but the caffeine causes a dopamine release signaling that coffee is good. Next time you see a cup of coffee, you crave it.
How Does Dopamine Apply to Exercise?
You don’t love exercise, because your brain doesn’t release dopamine in anticipation. There are two main reasons for this:
- You haven’t established a dopamine connection with exercise
- Exercise is an acquired taste like coffee. You have to establish a dopamine connection with it before you crave it.
2. Exercise isn’t a part of your identity
- Your brain releases dopamine when you receive rewards that relate to your identity. If you consider yourself an amazing pool player, your brain will release dopamine when you hit an amazing pool shot. If you don’t consider yourself a pool player, you won’t get anywhere near the reward.
Conclusion
Dopamine in many ways is the most important molecule in shaping your fitness-related actions.
Now that you have a better understanding of how it works, you can leverage it to improve your health and fitness and become a person that loves exercise!
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