Some scientists believe that genetics may be a big driver of why some people want to exercise and some do not.
Gretchen Reynolds of the New York Times reported news of a study conducted at the University of Missouri in Columbia that set out to discover that very thing.
What made the scientists decide that this research was worthwhile? Observation of activity within family members – especially twins – seemed to point that there could be a genetic predisposition to exercise or not.
Since it is more difficult to control the -er- breeding choices among people, or to get enough generations quickly (at least in most places), they turned to rats to get more data.
While the physical state of the rats made some difference, i.e. those that were overweight or sick did not tend to want to work out since it was harder to move.
But they were able to isolate a group of genes that were different between exercising rats and those that preferred to skip it. Those genes seemed to be associated with the Motivation to exercise.
They think that a test could be developed eventually that could let someone know if they are inclined to exercise through heredity or not.
But don’t let that determine whether you will hit the gym or not – predisposition doesn’t mean that it is cast in concrete! Feel the laziness and do it anyway!
