5 ways to stay motivated to exercise
Alex Pedley
Founder Peak Exec | Bestselling Author | Speaker | Health and Performance Adviser to Top Executives and Entrepreneurs
Have you ever planned to work out, but you’ve had a busy day, and you really can’t motivate yourself to do it?
This is when you ask yourself: am I tired or just being lazy?
I know that I have been in this position many times before. Although, dips in motivation are normal and expected, there are ways to ensure you continue to take action even when motivation to exercise is low.
Health benefits of exercise
The health benefits of exercise are vast, including preventing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, to name just a few. 1
Exercise isn’t just important for our physical health but mental too. Numerous studies have shown how exercise can improve mood and self-esteem while reducing anxiety and even depression. 2
I’m sure none of the health benefits will come as much of a surprise, but still, just 13% of people in the U.K take part in regular exercise according to a report by the European Commission 3
It is easy to put this down to laziness or not caring, but it may not be the case.
Attracted to sedentary behaviour
A study by the University of British Columbia (UBC) indicates we may be hardwired to avoid exercise. 4A group of 29 young adults were recruited to assess how the brain reacted to physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
?The participants were told to move a manikin on the screen away from the inactive images and towards the physically active figure on a computer.
Although the participants did move the manikin towards the active images, brain scans showed that doing so required more mental energy.
"The exciting novelty of our study is that it shows this faster avoidance of physical inactivity comes at a cost — and that is an increased involvement of brain resources," said Matthieu Boisgontier, the study's senior author.
"These results suggest that our brain is innately attracted to sedentary behaviours."?
When you combine this research with the fact that there are fewer reasons to move in modern society than ever before, sedentary behaviour is understandable.
Making exercise a habit
As a Personal Trainer, you may think it is easy for me to stay active, and you would have been right a few years ago.?
I owned studios in Canary Wharf, so I was on my feet for much of the day and, although busy with clients, I still had more opportunity than most to workout due to working in a gym.?
Times have now changed. I work from home and spend much of my day sitting at a computer. And my local gym is a 10-minute drive away.
I now need to plan my workouts and walks into my diary.
There are five simple rules I live by to remain consistent:
1.???Understand you're why
We all have a deeper reason why we want to look and feel better, but most people do not take time to understand what it is.
Those who do will find it easier to remain consistent.
?My why is that I want to be able to do a pull-up and sit into a deep squat in my 70s.
Why is that?
Because I want to be fit and active so I can play with my grandchildren. I know that if I can perform a pull-up and have the mobility to sit into a deep squat at that age, I will still be in good shape.
I can go deeper into why that is important, and the more I do, the greater my drive to look after myself.
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Ask yourself why you want to get in great shape. Once you have, ask the question again. Continue to do this until you create a greater understanding of your why. This will keep you driven when you go through more challenging times.
2.???Set a one-year goal
Consider where you want to be this time next year. How do you want to look and feel?
Then imagine how many workouts would the new you do each week and how active would you be?
What would your diet be like, and how would that fit in with your long-term goal?
When you paint a vivid picture in your mind’s eye, the chances of achieving that goal will significantly increase. Then you simply need to build the habits to achieve it.
3.???Set short-term targets
Having a long-term goal is essential, but what really matters is what you do day to day.
By setting short, two-week action-based targets, you will increase your chances of remaining consistent.
These targets may simply be to walk 8k steps each day and work out twice per week. Plan when, where and how you will complete the task, and each day tick it off.?
You will feel a sense of achievement by remaining consistent while knowing it is only for a short period.
At the end of the two weeks, reassess how it worked within your routine and go again. Over time your efforts will compound it will become a habit.
4.???Make your training routine a ritual
The more you automate your pre-workout routine, the more chance you have of remaining consistent.
?For example, if you train in the morning, prepare your workout kit the night before and place it somewhere that is obvious. This will work as a trigger in the morning.
?If you train in the gym, take the same journey there; when you get to the gym, use the same locker and play the same music before you begin to create an association between the song and exercise.
?Over time, your pre-workout routine will become an ingrained habit.
5.???Don’t rely on motivation
When I wake up at 5 am, I try to get out of bed within 30 seconds. I do not rely on motivation; I take action instead.
I use this same process before going to the gym. I don’t always feel motivated to train at 6 am, but I know that once I get there and start, I will end up enjoying it and feel good about myself.
Relying on motivation is a dangerous game. Take action first, and motivation will follow.
Taking part in regular exercise is extremely important but not always easy to do. You will need a strategy to remain consistent.
Find your deeper reason to exercise, make it as routine as possible and take action on the plan you have set out.
The benefits you see will be transformational. You will be more energised, driven and focused during daily life. You will be fitter, stronger and gain more confidence in your body.
Ultimately, when we exercise, we become better functioning humans.
Take the Reach Your Peak Quiz to uncover where to focus your time and effort to get in great shape and what is holding back your back. It takes less than 3 minutes, and you will receive a personalised report tailored to you, with action steps to take. https://reachyourpeakquiz.scoreapp.com/??
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