There are people out there that just can’t go to the gym, go for a run, or exercise at all without their playlist. Whether it’s just playing their favorite songs on Spotify to get through the next set of bench presses or watching a TV show on their iPad while on the treadmill, many people believe that having such distractions just makes it all go faster than if they exercised without it. You might be one of those people, and, according to science, you’re actually right. Sort of.
A study is showing the people who do intense workouts without headphones or other distractions actually experience time much slower during their exercise than people who incorporate entertainment or competition in with their workout session. For the research, 33 physically active people went on three different cycling trials on an exercise bike. The first trial was a solo biking session without distractions, the second trial was with a virtual avatar on the bike’s screen, and the third session was a game in which they needed to race a virtual opponent. Before, during, and after each trial, they were asked to estimate a 30 second time period.
The results showed across all three trials that the participants didn’t showcase any differences in perception of time before and after the exercise, but showed disparity during the cycling workouts. All three trials had the participants experience slowness in their perceptions of time and didn’t show much of a difference regarding whether there was a virtual element or not. The warped perception was credited not to cycling itself, but to how focused the individuals were on the task at hand along with the discomfort that comes with strenuous training.
“Exercise, particularly hard exercise, increases focus on the body, creating a heightened awareness of each moment,” said Andrew Edwards, first author of the study and a professor of psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University. “That makes time feel like it’s dragging.”
You know the old phrase “time flies when you’re having fun”? It’s like that but in reverse. Since the body is experiencing discomfort, even pain in some cases, it’s perceiving each moment much longer than in reality. If the activity isn’t fun, it’s…well, it’s not fun. So it feels slow.
Edwards even followed this study up with an additional one studying professional soccer players and their training habits. Unsurprisingly, the results found that the players enjoyed the workouts that involved them playing soccer and drills with their teammates, finding those activities much shorter and quicker than watching game film for analysis or cardio training.
“If time feels slower, workouts may feel longer and less enjoyable. Making exercise more engaging could help people stick with it,” Edwards said to The Guardian. “Repetitive or unenjoyable exercise might enhance this time-slowing effect, while distractions or enjoyment might reduce it.”
So, what can you do when your workout just drags and drags? Well, as mentioned above, music through some headphones or watching a show on a tablet can help make cardio workouts on the treadmill or elliptical go by much faster and easier. If you’re lifting weights, music can help, but doing it with a friend will not only give you a spot for heavier lifts, but make it a more fun experience. Just make sure you’re still aware of your surroundings and don't get too distracted if you’re running on the streets outside or are in a crowded gym.
Working out with friends also makes exercise more enjoyable (and feel quicker).Photo credit: Canva
When it comes to chores like sweeping and washing dishes, listening to music or podcasts can help pass the time. Folding laundry and other menial tasks like that can be done while the TV plays in the background, too. If you’re doing an elaborate project, invite your friends over for a “chore hang” to keep you company while you commit to your task or errand.
Just know that exercise and many other parts of life can feel like a boring eternity, but there are plenty of opportunities and people out there to help make the time fly by.
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Why do some folks use social media but don't engage?
Psychologist says people who never comment on social media share these 5 positive traits
For over 20 years, social media has developed into a staple in many people’s day-to-day lives. Whether it’s to keep in communication with friends and family, following the thoughts of celebrities, or watching cat videos while sipping your morning coffee, there seem to be two types of social media users: commenters and lurkers.
The term “lurker” sounds equally mysterious and insidious, with some social media users writing them off as non-participants at best or voyeurs at worst. However, mindfulness expert Lachlan Brown believes these non-commenters have some very psychologically positive and healthy traits. Let’s take a look at how each one of these traits could be beneficial and see how fruitful lurking might be even though it can drive content creators crazy.
1. Cautious about vulnerability
Consciously or not, making a post online or commenting on one puts you and your words out there. It’s a statement that everyone can see, even if it’s as simple as clicking “like.” Doing so opens yourself up to judgment, with all the good, bad, and potential misinterpretation that comes with it. Non-commenters would rather not open themselves up to that.
These silent users are connected to a concept of self-protection by simply not engaging. By just scrolling past posts or just reading/watching them without commentary, they’re preventing themselves from any downsides of sharing an opinion such as rejection, misunderstanding, or embarrassment. They also have more control on how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal to the general public, and tend to be more open face-to-face or during one-on-one/one-on-few private chats or DMs. This can be seen as a healthy boundary and prevents unnecessary exposure.
Considering many comment sections, especially involving political topics, are meant to stir negative emotional responses to increase engagement, being extra mindful about where, when, and what you comment might not be a bad idea. They might not even take the engagement bait at all. Or if they see a friend of theirs post something vulnerable, they feel more motivated to engage with them personally one-on-one rather than use social media to publicly check in on them.
2. Analytical and reflective mindset
How many times have you gone onto Reddit, YouTube, or any other site and just skimmed past comments that are just different versions of “yes, and,” “no, but,” or “yes, but”? Or the ever insightful, formerly popular comment “First!” in a thread? These silent browsers lean against adding to such noise unless they have some valid and thoughtful contribution (if they bother to comment period).
These non-posters are likely wired on reflective thinking rather than their initial intuition. Not to say that all those who comment aren’t thoughtful, but many tend to react quickly and comment based on their initial feelings rather than absorbing the information, thinking it over, researching or testing their belief, and then posting it. For "lurkers," it could by their very nature to just do all of that and not post it at all, or share their thoughts and findings privately with a friend. All in all, it’s a preference of substance over speed.
3. High sense of self-awareness
Carried over from the first two listed traits, these silent social media users incorporate their concern over their vulnerability and their reflective mindset into digital self-awareness. They know what triggers responses out of them and what causes them to engage in impulsive behavior. It could be that they have engaged with a troll in the past and felt foolish. Or that they just felt sad after a post or got into an unnecessary argument that impacted them offline. By knowing themselves and seeing what’s being discussed, they choose to weigh their words carefully or just not participate at all. It’s a form of self-preservation through restraint.
4. Prefer to observe rather than perform
Some folks treat social media as information, entertainment, or a mix of both, and commenting can feel like they’re yelling at the TV, clapping alone in a movie theater when the credits roll, or yelling “That’s not true!” to a news anchor that will never hear them. But contrary to that, social media is a place where those yells, claps, and accusations can be seen and get a response. By its design, social media is considered by experts and the media as performative, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. Taking all of the previously mentioned traits into account, one can see why they would prefer to “observe the play” rather than get up on the stage of Facebook or X.
On top of that, these non-commenters could be using social media differently than those who choose to fully engage with it. Using this type of navigation, there may be nothing for them to comment about. Some commenters are even vying for this for their mental health. There are articles about how to better curate your social media feeds and manipulate algorithms to create a better social media experience to avoid unnecessary conflict or mentally tiring debate.
If you go on a blocking spree on all of your accounts and just follow the posters that boost you, it could turn your social media into a nice part of your routine as you mainly engage with others face-to-face or privately. In terms of commenting, if your curated Instagram is just following cute dogs and all you have to offer for a comment is “cute dog,” you might just enjoy the picture and then move on with your day rather than join in the noise. These non-commenters aren’t in the show and they’re fine with it.
5. Less motivated by social validation
The last trait that Brown showcases is that social media users who browse without posting tend to be independent from external validation, at least online. Social media is built to grow through feedback loops such as awarding likes, shares, and reposts of your content along with notifications letting you know that a new person follows you or wants to connect. This can lead many people to connect their activity on social media with their sense of self worth, especially with adolescents who are still figuring out their place in the world and have still-developing brains.
Engaging in social media via likes, shares, comments, and posts rewards our brains by having them release dopamine, which makes us feel good and can easily become addictive. For whatever reason, non-commenters don’t rely on social media as a means to gauge their social capital or self worth. This doesn’t make them better than those who do. While some non-commenters could have healthier ways to boost their self worth or release dopamine into their systems, many get that validation from equally unhealthy sources offline. That said, many non-commenters’ silence could be a display of independence and self confidence.
Whether you frequently comment online or don’t, it’s good to understand why you do or don’t. Analyzing your habits can help you determine whether your online engagement is healthy, or needs to be tweaked. With that information, you can then create a healthy social media experience that works for you.