Fitness Motivation

Is getting motivated to exercise a hurdle for you? If you are like most people, knowing you should exercise and wanting to exercise are two very different things. Research shows that many people who exercise long-term keep at it because they have learned to want to exercise, rather than exercising just because they have to.

Intrinsic motivation is key to maintaining an exercise program. People who are intrinsically motivated perform behavior for its own sake rather than for the rewards or outcomes the behavior might produce. That doesn’t mean it is wrong to want to get healthy, lose weight, or increase your longevity through exercise – just that outcome reasons like these are unlikely to be enough to keep you exercising for a lifetime.

The following are some suggestions for getting started and sticking with your new exercise program.

• Set short-term goals that are specific, yet flexible: Perhaps your initial goal might include 20 – 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three days a week. If you plan to work out on a Monday, and find that you cannot, simply reschedule for another day.
• Shift your focus from outcome to process: Instead of setting long-term goals that relate to outcomes like weight loss, set short-term goals that relate to participation like how many times you workout per week.
• Begin at a level that is comfortable, and increase slowly: The recommended rate of progression in your exercise program depends on health and medical status, age, individual activity preferences and goals, and your current level of fitness. Each week you can attempt to gradually extend the amount of time you exercise, and gradually increase your exercise intensity.
• Have a routine time and place to exercise: Make it fun, convenient, and consistent.
• Social support: The support of family, friends, and co-workers should be sought from the beginning. Finding a compatible exercise partner often serves to enhance exercise adherence.

Be prepared, relapses do occur but should be viewed as inevitable challenges rather than failures. It is quite normal to experience a relapse, don’t let one event spoil your ability to begin again.