To Exercise or Not to Exercise
Some of us are natural born athletes always motivated to get out and move about. Others enjoy it, but often lack the motivation to go out and work out. The key to wanting to do a workout is genuinely loving it. For those of us who don’t enjoy working out enough to say that they love it. A comparative statement would be a computer programmer saying “I have a passion for debugging software”.
Compared to debugging exercise at one point or another in our lives came naturally to us. Whether it was running around playing capture the flag, bicycling or jumping rope.
Aside from the fact that there are a multitude of types of exercise that make the chances of you finding something you will actually enjoy doing. The following approaches may help you find and stay motivated to whichever you choose to practice.
- Be mindful and enjoy the moment
Research has shown that the more absorbed you become in the exercise the more enjoyable it becomes. In those who don’t exercise on a regular basis, the link between mindedness and satisfaction was linked to becoming active. Mindfulness can be described as noticing the moment-to-moment changes in your sensations, feelings and thoughts. The key to doing this successfully is experiencing it in a judgmental manner. By moving on to the next moment, avoiding negative thought, and focusing on our positive sensations we become more likely to enjoy what we are doing. - Go hard, or maybe not
Adults can easily meet the Center for Disease Controls requirement with either 150 minutes of moderate- or 75 minutes of high intensity workout per week. Doing half the work seems like a great idea, but high intensity isn’t for everyone. Sometimes it is more important to find the balance between intensity and duration that best fits your level this will make it a lot more enjoyable if you don’t enjoy the sensation of not being able to… or maybe better excessively feeling your muscles the next day. - Why sit inside, when you could have fresh air
The benefits from exercise may be further enhanced by being active outdoors, in nature as opposed to being inside of a gym. Physical activity has already been shown to be a great mood booster and stress reliever. Out door exercise has been shown to include greater feelings of enjoyment, revitalization, and satisfaction. Exercising outdoors has also been shown to increase the likelihood of repition.
Why sit inside when you could enjoy the great outdoors and a beautiful sunrise - It isn’t a chore it areward
The way we talk to ourselves about exercise is how we are going to feel about it. Taking a positive stance about exercise makes it a million times more enjoyable. One interesting side note is that a study found that individuals who consider exercise a treat ate less desserts and snacks. This came about because they felt exercise was a reward they no longer needed to reward themselves with sugary treats.
There is a lot of research out there showing how our state of mind influences whether we will exercise or not. I’ve never had to hard of a time finding motivation to exercise. The one key for me was finding something I love and I did, whether it was skateboarding around the campus or going for a dawn patrol surf session like I dd this morning nothing is a bigger motivator than going out and doing what you love.
