Is the motivation to exercise something you can learn?

Exercise and being active are harder as we get older, but they shouldn’t be, right? All I can say is, that it got harder when there was no structure after Uni and when it did get easier I had cut out all the fun parts of my life and just dedicated myself to working out, hours and hours a week. But that motivation and dedication are almost non-existent.

After watching Emily Balcetis on Ted Talks sharing her study on motivation and ‘why some people find exercise harder than others, it made me think, that I can actually train my brain and myself to be more motivated. Here is what I learned.

Avoid distractions – Internal / External

Is your motivation for health and wellness rooted in people or the influence of others

For as long as I can remember, training has always been my escape, and with how crazy life can get, escape is always very important for my sanity. Some people only develop the same drive from training with other people or attending group classes.

From my years of training distractions, a lack of drive begins to set in when I start getting bored from the activities I regularly engage in. switch up your training style and training activities every now and again, I have found that it brings back the excitement in training.

I remember switching from bodybuilding to CrossFit training during the covid lockdown it was an absolute experience, and the results were even more exciting.

What your mind believes your body achieves

In the study, Balcetsi revealed in her results that participants responded to physical activity better when they believed they were getting a nutritional drink that aided their health versus those who did not. Time and time again science and athletes have proven that your mind has the ability to alter your body’s ability to achieve a task in turn the result. So why not be conscious of it?

Why not …

• Tell yourself what you need to achieve a goal; positive affirmations.

• Keep a visual reminder of your goal.

• Eat and drink food you know will support your goal.

What your mind believes is what makes it possible to achieve your goals.

Manageable and Realistic goals

 Setting realistic goals is key to keeping motivated and in turn, makes your goal manageable. We all know the feeling when you train with a ‘fit’ friend or trainer who makes you do a wild workout that affirms your belief of being out of shape; what a bummer. Or better yet you try a short-lived workout that you expect to lose 15 kg in a month, not realistic or healthy.  Keep a track of your progress either visually, distances covered if running, progress in strength or endurance, improved recovery, reduced injury and ability to do a certain routine.

Stay Focused- Eye on the Prize

One of the lasting impressions I got from the talk was the importance of  Keeping your eyes on the prize and your focus. Balcetis used this practical way of explaining our focus with this. Place your arm thumb in front of your face about a foot away and focus on it, notice how everything else is blurry, unimportant and in that moment, not your intention. We need to use this very concept when thinking about goals. Even our environment and what we are surrounded by can distract us from the focus of ‘the thumb’. So my advice, be selective about the environment you want to use to achieve your goal. This can be the people, the facilities, the smells, the music you listen to and the energy.

Article Written by: @fitkaytoday, @mr_intensity365

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