How Exercise(ˈeksərˌsīz) Might Increase Your Self-Control

How Exercise(ˈeksərˌsīz) Might Increase Your Self-Control

By Gretchen Reynolds

For most of us, temptations are everywhere, from the dessert(diˈzərt) buffet(bəˈfā,ˈbəfit) to the online shoe(SHo͞o) boutique(bo͞oˈtēk). But a new study suggests that exercise might be a simple if unexpected way to increase our willpower and perhaps(pərˈ(h)aps) help us to avoid making impulsive(imˈpəlsiv) choices(CHois) that we will later regret(riˈgret).

Self-control(kənˈtrōl) is one of those concepts(ˈkänˌsept) that we all recognize(ˈrekigˌnīz,ˈrekə(g)ˌnīz) and applaud(əˈplôd) but do not necessarily(ˌnesəˈse(ə)rəlē) practice(ˈpraktəs). It requires forgoing(fôrˈgō) things that entice(enˈtīs) us, which, let’s face it, is not fun. On the other hand, lack of self-control can be consequential(ˌkänsəˈkwenCHəl) for health and well-being, often contributing to problems like weight(wāt) gain(gān), depression or money woes.

Given these impacts, scientists(ˈsīəntist) and therapists(ˈTHerəpist) have been interested in finding ways to increase people’s self-restraint(riˈstrānt). Various(ˈve(ə)rēəs) types of behavioral(biˈhāvyərəl) therapies(ˈTHerəpē) and counseling(ˈkouns(ə)liNG) have shown promise. But such techniques(tekˈnēk) typically(ˈtipikəl) require professional(prəˈfeSHənl) assistance(əˈsistəns) and have for the most part been used to treat(trēt) people with abnormally(abˈnôrməl) high levels of impulsiveness(imˈpəlsiv).

There have been few scientifically validated(ˈvaləˌdāt) options available to help those of us who might want to be just a little better at resisting(riˈzist) our more devilish(ˈdevəliSH) urges(ərj).

So for the new study, which was published recently(ˈrēsəntlē) in Behavior(biˈhāvyər) Modification, a group of researchers at the University of Kansas(ˈkanzəs) in Lawrence(ˈlär-,ˈlôrəns) began wondering about exercise.

Exercise is known to have considerable(-ˈsidrəbəl,kənˈsidər(ə)bəl) psychological(ˌsīkəˈläjəkəl) effects(iˈfekt). It can raise(rāz) moods, for example(igˈzampəl), and expand people’s sense(sens) of what they are capable(ˈkāpəbəl) of doing. So perhaps, the researchers speculated(ˈspekyəˌlāt), exercise might(mīt) alter(ˈôltər) how well people can control their impulses(ˈimˌpəls).

To find out, the scientists decided first to mount a tiny(ˈtīnē) pilot(ˈpīlət) study, involving(inˈvälv) only four men and women.

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