Exercise Makes Time Seem to Slow: Study

Find out more about the potential implications for motivation and performance.

Sarayut Sridee/Shutterstock

Ever feel like your gym sessions crawl by at a glacial pace, with each minute on the treadmill feeling more interminable than the last? Well, you’re not just imagining it.

New research suggests that our minds perceive time differently when we exercise. While the clocks may be ticking at their usual rate, people experience the minutes dragging on far longer during a sweat session than when they are resting on the couch.

Exercise Puts Time in Slow Motion

The recent study, published in Brain and Behavior, found participants experienced a slower passage of time while exercising, regardless of whether they competed against others or exercised alone.