Rachel Barr, neuroscientist: "If you don't want to, don't go to the gym. The brain didn't evolve for exercise, it evolved for movement."
That practicing some form of physical activity is beneficial to health is something no one in Spain disputes anymore. Nor is it disputed that strength-training sports are the ones that help us lose weight and build muscle. However, neuroscientist Rachel Barr offers a statement that may come as a surprise to many citizens, given its unusual nature in a world where the gym has become the "center of all possible operations."
"If you hate going to the gym, don't go," says the expert. A message as powerful as it is common sense, since she explains that joining a gym isn't essential to leading a healthy life. "The brain hasn't evolved to play sports as we know it today, but simply to move and stay active ."
The neuroscientist has revealed something unexpected: going to the gym is by no means essential to staying in shape . "There are many people who consider working out at the gym to be the most tedious activity in the world, and that's fine; they don't have to go."
The message sounds strange in a world where the cult of the body dominates everything. However, the expert believes we can reap all the benefits of regulated and structured exercise simply by encouraging movement in our daily lives; it's a beneficial lifestyle, without having to pay a gym membership.
This is how we can train our brain on a daily basis
Neuroscientist Rachel Barr explains how to get the most out of your brain without having to exercise: "To understand how the main organ of the central nervous system works, it's essential to understand our origins: understanding what our brain really needs requires us to go back to the beginning of our evolution, to the first nervous system that existed."
What the expert is referring to is that "when humans appeared, the only mammalian brain designs available 'on the market' were based on movement-inspired functions ." This means that both the brain and the body have been evolving, but not in the direction of requiring physical exercise as we conceive it today.
Barr points out that "we can dance in the living room, play hide-and-seek with friends, or jump rope outdoors... whatever we find most fun and allows us to stay active in a pleasurable way, so we don't give up."
Among the methodology recommended by Barr, the so-called VILPA (Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity) method is particularly prominent. Those who don't want to follow established gym routines can sign up for this vital approach that encourages physical activity to complement their daily activities.
VILPA, for example, means taking the stairs briskly or walking briskly when we want to catch the bus. In this sense, the study published in the journal Nature Medicine in 2022 refers to the fact that " all activities count " in all areas of life and regardless of their duration.
VILPA refers to short, sporadic bouts (e.g., up to 1 or 2 minutes long) of vigorous-intensity physical activity performed as part of daily life , such as brisk walking while commuting or climbing stairs. For most adults, VILPA may be more feasible than structured exercise because it requires minimal time commitment and does not involve specific preparation, equipment, or access to facilities.
ReferencesEmmanuel Stamatakis, Matthew N. Ahmadi, Jason M.R. Gill, Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Martin J. Gibala, Aiden Doherty, Mark Hamer . 'Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality'. Nature Medicine 28, 2521–2529 (2022). Accessed online at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02100-x on April 17, 2025.
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