Sometimes getting motivated to start a workout can be just as hard as the exercise itself. There are days it seems almost impossible to muster up the energy to do anything other than veg out on the couch. Yet there are people who squeeze in at least a little exercise every day. How do they do that, and can everyone else get some of that magical motivation?
You might be in luck. Researchers may have finally figured out how to get people more excited about exercising. The trick? Just stay focused on the here and now.
“People will not commit to exercise if they see its benefits as distant or theoretical,” Dr. Michelle L. Segar, author of No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness told The New York Times. “It has to be portrayed as a compelling behavior that can benefit us today.”
In her book, she talks about using exercise to enhance happiness, rather than a way to achieve a physical goal in the future. This study published in Psychological Health found that 335 older adults aged 60-96 exercised more often when they placed an emphasis on how it increased their quality of life, as compared to those who exercised solely for health benefits.
In other words, thinking about going for a run today in hopes of being 10 pounds lighter in two months, is less likely to help you wake up for a jog before dawn than if you think about going for a run as a way to see a friend or exploring a new part of town. It’s these kinds of immediate rewards that researchers say are more likely to keep you coming back for more exercise. Rather work out indoors? Put the focus on increasing your energy, improving your mood, or lowering your stress level, and you might be more likely to push play. “I like to think of physical activity as a way to revitalize and renew ourselves [and] as fuel to better enjoy and succeed at what matters most,” says Dr. Seger.
Re-posted from www.beachbodycoach.com/akstever October 23, 2015 by Hannah Rex
