Struggling To Hit The Gym? It May Not Be Your Fault, Study Suggests

BOSTON (CBS) – If you've already broken your New Year's resolution to exercise more, it may not be entirely your fault.

WBZ-TV's Dr. Mallika Marshall reports there's new research that shows a hormone released in the brain may affect a person's motivation to get moving, especially if they're overweight.

A recent study looked at obese mice and found that the way their brains handled the feel-good hormone dopamine was altered and seemed to cause them to be less physically active.

"In many cases, willpower is invoked as a way to modify behavior," study author Alexxai Kravitz said in Cell Metabolism. "But if we don't understand the underlying physical basis for that behavior, it's difficult to say that willpower alone can solve it."

The hope is that this discovery could lead to better ways to motivate people to exercise in the future.