thoughts about voluntary exercise

Voluntary exercise offers significant health benefits, while forced exercise may have adverse effects. Andrew Huberman discussed a study involving rats where one rat exercised voluntarily and showed improved health metrics such as better blood pressure and lipid profiles. Conversely, another rat was forced to exercise whenever the first rat did and exhibited worsened health metrics, including increased blood pressure and stress hormones. This pattern also holds true in humans.

The key takeaway is that our subjective understanding of why we undertake certain activities is crucial. Voluntarily engaging in exercise leads to positive physiological effects, while being forced to exercise can result in negative health consequences. This underscores the importance of having intrinsic motivation for exercise to reap its full benefits 1.