Finding Motivation to Exercise
Every January, waves of people flock to gyms, buy treadmills, or start yoga classes with a hunger for change and dreams of slimmer waistlines. But by February, people’s motivation often begins to waiver, and before they know it, instead of working out, they’re working on excuses not to. It’s unfortunate, but I’ve been there many times myself!
Of course, there are lots of people who do exercise regularly and happily, so why are they able to stick with their exercise regimes when so many others fail? What motivates them to keep going? To answer this question, I asked them!
In fact, over the years, I’ve asked countless people why they run, walk, swim, cycle, go to the gym, etc. Although most of them say they want to be healthy and stay in shape, these don’t seem to be their main motivation for getting out the door to exercise each day. Instead, they say they keep going because it gives them energy. It reduces stress. It improves their mood. It helps them focus. They feel stronger, more confident and refreshed. They like the fresh-air after work each day. They find they sleep better, and some even notice that they make better food choices. It’s fun. It’s the thrill of competition. They like overcoming challenges, tracking their improvement, and meeting targets. It’s a social outlet. It’s their “me time.” It forms part of their identity (“I’m a runner/hockey player/cyclist”). They feel worse if they don’t go, and some admit that it’s partly vanity - they like how it makes them look. So, above weight-loss or fitness, what they all seem to be saying is that the exercise makes them feel good, and because of that, they want to do it. When you put it that way, it makes sense.
Experienced runners don’t run because they necessarily have more willpower than others; they run because they crave the feeling it gives them - the famous “runner’s high.” I personally like playing hockey, but the health benefits are secondary to the fun, the competition, the banter and the stress-relief it provides me.
Although the commitment to exercise to lose weight or get fit is admirable, such goals are only achieved after a consistent effort over a long period of time. In order to keep you interested and motivated long enough to achieve those long-term goals, there should be something immediately gratifying, rewarding and enjoyable about the activity itself. Once you associate exercise with reward, you will likely seek that reward on a regular basis.
I’m not saying that you should be smiling with every step of a run, or with every lap in the pool, but you can’t survive on willpower alone. My advice would be to try many different activities to see what appeals to you. Think about how you feel when you are more active. If you begin to see exercise less as a chore and more like something you look forward to, I think that is the secret to success.
Dr. Shawn Toner