Who Knew? It’s All In Your Head

You know that extra-tired feeling you get during a workout after a long day at the office? According to a new study from Bangor University, in Wales, it’s all a figment of your imagination. Performing tough mental tasks before a workout causes you to fatigue faster because mental exhaustion makes you perceive physical activity as more difficult. The head researcher and exercise physiologist Samuele Marcora, Ph.D, says “you’ll reach your ‘perceptual limit’ well before your ‘physiological limit.’” The bottomline: when you use that line “I’m tired” as an excuse to skip the gym after a tough day at work, we’re on to you. Adds Marcora, “Half-hour workouts at moderate intensity improve your health just as well as your mood and cognitive function-which reduces the negative psychological effects of mental fatigue.”

No excuses!