7 Strategies to Grow Your Motivation to Exercise
You know that guy, Jerry, down the street, that runs by your house every morning at 6am when you’re still trying to peel your eyes open and get out of bed? Then, he stops right in front of your house to do several sets of squats and lunges. It reminds you, ever so clearly, that your exercise motivation tank is running on empty.
Where does Jerry get his endless motivation? And more importantly, how can you get some of it?!
Start by Understanding Motivation
Motivation is the direction and intensity of our effort. There are six different types of motivation that range on a continuum from Intrinsically Motivated to Amotivated. Which type of motivation do you most identify with?
Amotivation
These folks have no interest in starting or even considering exercise, because they see no benefits of it. If this is you, click HERE.
Intrinsic Motivation
The most highly motivated people, like Jerry, are Intrinsically Motivated. This means their drive to exercise comes from within themselves via pride, enjoyment, and a sense of competence.
Extrinsic Motivation
People who exercise for anything other than pride, enjoyment, and competence are driven by external reasons (i.e. things outside themselves). The four types with examples include:
Integrated Regulation: exercise because it’s a part of who I am (i.e. getting an identity out of it).
Identified Regulation: exercise to get fit/lose weight (i.e. a personal goal).
Introjected Regulation: exercise due to a sense of guilt, often from another person.
External Regulation: exercise to win the biggest loser award or to avoid being punished for skipping your group training session.
Which Type of Motivation is Best?
Intrinsic motivation is ideal. People who are intrinsically motivated (the Jerry’s in our life) enjoy exercise, work harder at it, stick to it, and have an easier time getting out the door. However, extrinsic motivation is better than amotivation! Research shows that some times people start exercising for extrinsic reasons and over time it can become more intrinsic. If you are currently primarily extrinsically motivated, you too can move toward a more intrinsic form of motivation with the following strategies.
Strategies to Increase Motivation
1.Exercise for your own reasons.
Exercising because someone else wants you to (your husband, doctor, mom) is a form of imprisonment. LITTERALLY. You will not be intrinsically motivated if you allow other people in your life to dictate whether or not you exercise, how much, and with whom.
2. Choose exercise you enjoy.
Enjoyment is a prime source of intrinsic motivation. Therefore, choose modes and intensities that are most enjoyable to you. Despise running? Don’t do it! Try a dance class, join a basketball league, or go on a walk. DO. WHAT. YOU. ENJOY.
3. Acknowledge how you feel after you exercise.
Research is clear that people who exercise feel GOOD. They have lower rates of stress, depression, and anxiety. They also report feeling more energized and full of life all day long. Use the feel-good response as a reinforcer of exercise.
4. Measure and monitor your fitness.
Record bench marks of your fitness, like how far you can walk in 20 minutes. Acknowledge and celebrate when you can walk a further distance in the same amount of time. When you set personal records, this will give you a sense of pride in an accomplishment, a form of intrinsic motivation.
5.Make it a part of who you are.
Even though exercising because it is a part of your identity is a form of extrinsic motivation, it is the most self-determined form of external motivation. This means you are still exercising for reasons that are your own.
6. Stop comparing yourself.
You will never be the best unless your name is Usain Bolt (who, as of last summer, is actually not the best anymore). When you compare yourself to others, it decreases your sense of competence. People who play the comparison game too often drop out because they feel unsuccessful and it hurts their self-esteem. You cannot control other people. So, keep your progress self-referenced. Be your best YOU.
7. Stop using weight loss as the primary purpose.
The benefits of exercise extend well beyond weight loss and weight management. When people tie the utility of exercise to the number on the scale, they often become discouraged and drop out because weight loss happens slowly. Weight regulation as a goal is okay, as long as it’s not the sole motivator to exercise.
In summary, to fill your intrinsic motivation tank, choose exercise that YOU like for reasons that YOU choose. Grow yourself in your health and wellness to become your best YOU. Enjoy the journey!
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References:
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2002). An overview of self-determination theory. In E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 3-33). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
Samuel-Scrimshaw, Featured image. Retrieved from: upsplash.com.
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