Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Children/fit, General Fitness, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | (0) Comments
Running on a treadmill- boring. Stairmaster? Boring. We all suffer from lack of motivation at times, but sometimes it is way worse and lasts longer. Men’s Health has a good article on exercise motivation- where it comes from, and how to get it. This is worth reading since most people have a hard time sticking with their exercise resolutions and routines. I think you will be surprised by what really motivates people to exercise. It isn’t what you think but here is a hint- guilt and fear are no match for lust. The article is a few pages long, but well worth the time to read.
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So if liking exercise is the key to sticking with it, what makes us like it? SDT researchers say you’re intrinsically motivated to do an activity if it meets three basic needs. The first is autonomy — the choice to do it was made by you, not somebody else. The second is competence — you know what you’re doing, or are at least becoming better at it. The third is relatedness — the activity connects you in some way to other people.
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The second need is a really important one. No one likes doing things that they are no good at. This isn’t just a gym thing, it is a life thing. Work can become unbearable if you are forced to do things you aren’t any good at. So one of my main goals when I’m training with someone is to make sure they are making discernible progress- both in how they look and how strong they are. That is why walking on a treadmill is such a non-motivating form of activity. Lifting weights at least has the benefit of someone seeing that they are getting stronger and seeing more muscle tone. It’s also a lot more fun to workout with someone else. It’s faster to workout by yourself, but it definitely helps to connect with someone. So take these principles to heart and you will find exercising a lot more appealing.
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