Your brain can trick the body into exercising harder, claims new research

A new study shows tendon vibration can make exercise feel easier, letting people work harder without noticing. Learn how the brain shapes effort and motivation. (Image: Pexels)

• Pre-exercise tendon vibration made workouts feel easier without lessening effort
• Participants cycled harder after vibration but felt the same level of exertion
• Findings may help people beat exercise fatigue and maintain physical activity.

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For some people, a short jog feels like climbing a mountain. For others, the same run feels oddly manageable. People often blame fitness levels, motivation or willpower, but science now suggests a different influence; how the brain interprets effort.

Effort isn’t just the fuel your body burns while moving. It’s also a sensation, one shaped by the brain. Two people can perform the same exercise, at the same intensity, and walk away with entirely different experiences. One feels drained. The other feels challenged but capable.

That perception matters. When exercise feels overwhelming, people tend to avoid it. When it feels manageable, they’re far more likely to keep going. This gap between physical work and perceived strain has become a growing focus for researchers trying to understand why staying active is so difficult for many.

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A team led by Benjamin Pageaux, professor at the Université de Montréal, explored whether it’s possible to lower the feeling of effort without reducing the actual work being done. Their idea was simple but unusual: vibrate specific tendons before exercise. Volunteers were asked to cycle on a stationary bike under two conditions, once after receiving tendon vibration, and once without it. The vibration was applied to the Achilles and knee tendons for ten minutes before cycling began.

Participants then cycled for three minutes at what they believed was a moderate or intense effort. They adjusted their pace based on how hard the exercise felt, not on speed or power. As a result, after tendon vibration, people produced more power and had higher heart rates. Their bodies were working harder, but their sense of effort stayed exactly the same.

Researchers believe vibration changes how effort signals travel from the muscles to the brain. “Depending on the frequency and strength of the vibration, we can excite or inhibit certain neurons,” Pageaux explains. Prolonged vibration also alters how muscle sensors respond, subtly reshaping the information the brain receives.

In simple terms, the brain underestimates how hard the body is working. The movement feels easier, even though the muscles are pushing more forcefully.

This brain–body mismatch could have real-world implications, especially for people who find exercise intimidating or exhausting.

• It may help beginners stick with physical activity
• It could reduce fear around effort and fatigue
• It opens new paths for supporting sedentary individuals
• It challenges the idea that exercise discomfort is fixed

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The research is still in its early days. So far, the effect has only been tested during short cycling sessions in controlled conditions. “This hasn’t been tested in long endurance events,” Pageaux notes. “But it’s the first time we’ve seen this effect during this type of exercise.” Next, the team plans to study brain activity during movement using advanced imaging tools, while also exploring how pain and fatigue amplify perceived effort.

Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis.