When you dial up the intensity, minutes suddenly feel longer than usual. It’s not just a feeling—during physical exertion we commonly overestimate duration, as if time has slowed down. The latest experiments in sport psychology confirm that while exercising, we perceive time as passing more slowly than at rest or after training, which can affect motivation, pacing, and how hard a session feels subjectively.
How the brain measures time: “internal clocks,” attention, and arousal
Time perception isn’t governed by a single “clock center” in the body. The prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and hippocampus are all involved. One of the most widely accepted theories—the so-called pacemaker–accumulator model—explains that the higher our physiological and emotional arousal, the faster our internal clock “ticks,” and the more “pulses” we accumulate over the same objective duration. The result? We estimate time as longer subjectively. During exertion, attention also narrows to bodily sensations (breathing, muscle burn, pain), so each second “weighs” more.
What studies show during training
Under controlled conditions, participants in demanding endurance tasks consistently estimated they had exercised longer than they actually had. The effect also appeared when competitiveness or virtual opponents were added—what mattered more was the load itself and the associated sensations of effort. For coaches, this means subjective “go-time” and what the watch says don’t always match, which can distort pacing in intervals or races.
When time “flies”: flow and time running in the opposite direction
The opposite of slowing down is the flow state—deep absorption in a task, where time often passes faster. Flow typically emerges with a clear goal, immediate feedback, and a balance between challenge and skill. Neuroimaging studies suggest reduced activity in the default mode network (less “self-monitoring”) and more efficient attentional focus on the task at hand—so time perception “softens,” and training feels shorter. In practice, flow tends to occur more often in skill-based games (e.g., soccer) than in monotonous aerobic work without stimuli.
Music, pace, and rhythm: a simple hack to distort time
Music lowers perceived exertion, improves mood, and can shift time perception during endurance workouts. Faster tempos or favorite tracks can “mask” internal fatigue signals, so subjectively you get more work done in a “shorter” time. The effect is stronger in steady-state endurance, but it can help during higher-intensity blocks as well.
Practical tips: how to keep time from “dragging” during a workout
- Shift your attention: during tough segments, move your focus from internal sensations to external cues—music rhythm, cadence, step count, distant visual targets. This reduces excessive attention to discomfort, which “slows” time.
- Micro-dose stimuli: break up a monotonous treadmill run with intervals, pace changes, or “mini-goals” (e.g., every 400 m). You’ll create more immediate feedback—one of the ingredients of flow.
- Music as a metronome: build playlists for different phases of your session (warm-up jog, main set, cool-down). For endurance, try slightly faster-tempo tracks, but pay attention to what feels right for you.
- Vary the environment and add game elements: group training, competitive elements, or virtual “rivals” in apps can change how time feels—intensity stays, but the workout seems shorter.
- Pacing vs. reality: in intervals, don’t rely only on the feeling that the interval is “long”—watch the stopwatch/metrics. Slowed time perception is common and can lead to backing off too early.
What this means for health and your training plan
How we experience time fundamentally shapes motivation and long-term adherence to exercise. If a workout subjectively “lasts forever,” the risk rises that we cut it short or avoid it next time. Conversely, when we get closer to flow (more feedback, play, music, the right level of challenge), the session goes by faster and we’re more likely to stick with it over the long run. So the tips above aren’t just psychological tricks—they’re tools to stabilize performance while making exercise more enjoyable.
Video: Why time “flies” for athletes in flow
A brief explanation of how time perception changes in sport during the flow state.
Video: How to get into flow in sports (practical tips)
An accessible introduction to techniques that make it easier to get into flow and sustain attention.
Sources
- The perception of time is slowed in response to exercise, both with and without opponent presence – Brain and Behavior (2024). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10983804/
- Emotional Modulation of Interval Timing and Time Perception – Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (2016). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5380120/
- The Neuroscience of the Flow State: Involvement of the Default Mode Network? – Frontiers in Psychology(2021). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645498/full
- The Psychophysiological Effects of Different Tempo Music on Endurance and High-Intensity Training – Frontiers in Psychology (2020). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00074/full
Jana
I like turning curiosity into words, and writing articles is my way of capturing ideas before they slip away — and sharing them with anyone who feels like reading.
