Time. What is it even? Sometimes it flies by when you’re having a blast, but other times, it feels like it’s dragging on forever. One of those times is apparently when you’re sweating it out at the gym. Yeah, you know those moments when you’re staring at the clock between sets and realizing that what felt like an eternity was actually just a few minutes. So, what’s the deal with that? Well, let’s dive into why people perceive time as moving slower when they’re exercising compared to when they’re chilling on the couch.
A recent study published in April 2024 in the journal Brain and Behavior found that people do indeed feel like time is crawling at a snail’s pace during exercise. Whether they’re working out solo or competing against others, the perception of time is slower when they’re hitting the gym. The researchers recruited 33 active adults to hop on virtual bikes and pedal their hearts out for science. They had to rate how hard they felt they were working and estimate when 30 seconds had passed. Turns out, they stopped the clock at around 28 seconds during exercise, but at 31.4 seconds before and after working out. So, yeah, time definitely feels like it’s dragging when you’re sweating it out.
But why does time slow down during exercise? Well, the researchers think it might have something to do with our attention. When you’re pushing yourself to the limit, you become hyper-aware of every little ache and pain in your body. This heightened awareness might make you feel like time is passing more slowly because you’re experiencing more sensations in a short amount of time. Not really sure why this matters, but it’s an interesting theory to think about.
Another interesting finding from the study was that having a competitor didn’t really affect time perception, but it did make participants pedal faster. When they were racing against someone on the screen, they finished quicker than when they were just going at it alone. So, maybe having a buddy to compete with can push you to work harder, even if time feels like it’s dragging. Who knew a little friendly competition could make a difference in your workout routine? Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like having a workout buddy could really spice things up and make the time fly by.
