The Checkup: Why You’re ‘Hardwired’ to Hate Exercise (and How to Overcome It)

• Not that I want to give you an excuse to skip the gym or anything, but researchers trying to figure out why some people love working out and some hate it have made an interesting discovery: Many people overdo it at the gym without realizing it, and that makes them feel super uncomfortable—which, in turn, makes them less likely to hit the gym again. It all has to do with what we perceive as appropriate output and what is actually appropriate for our level of fitness. Put more eloquently by the Wall Street Journal, “Many sedentary people push beyond their intrinsic range when they try to exercise too quickly or intensely, which can make them hate the activity and want to stop.” Biologically speaking, your body begins to tell you to stop when your output of carbon dioxide exceeds your intake of oxygen; it’s a sign, according to WSJ, that your muscles are growing acidic, which your body doesn’t like. So when you push beyond that point, you start thinking to yourself, “Gosh, I really, really hate this,” and eventually you quit. See how that makes perfect sense? The trick is to honestly assess where you are fitness-wise, and not push too hard straight off the bat. By creating pleasant exercise memories, you’ll increase your chances of looking forward to a sweat session later.

• Lay off the Starbucks if you’re pregnant, ladies. A new study links caffeine with low-birth-weight babies. More here.

• Tired? You might overeat today as a result, according to a new study. It found that sleep-deprived people are more likely to choose bigger portions of bad-for-you food than people who sleep normally. Read more here.