Understanding what motivates us on a personal level helps us to change our behaviour for the better. Photo / 123rf
Understanding what motivates us on a personal level helps us to change our behaviour for the better. Photo / 123rf
Although there have been many positive signs that people are waking up to the connection between their lifestyle choices and disease risk, the global problem of obesity resulting from sedentary lifestyles continues to increase.
People are aware of the dangers that a lack of exercise causes yet that alone doesnot seem to be enough to motivate them to exercise. Why the disconnect?
After studying data on nearly 100,000 participants, researchers at the University of Missouri concluded that simply telling people to exercise because it is good for their health is not motivation enough.
According to Alice Burron, author of Four Weeks to Fabulous, and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise, "starting and sticking with an exercise routine increases when people personalise their decisions".
Personalising their reason to exercise by connecting with and reflecting on someone in their family or a close friend who is dealing with a specific disease or illness can be very motivating towards making positive resolutions and lifestyle changes.
Motivation can be defined as "something that drives us to maintain or achieve our goals". Along with setting goals, being prepared and staying committed, it is one of the major keys to success. It is just a matter of discovering what motivates us to enjoy the success we seek.
When it comes to changing bad habits such as sedentary lifestyles to healthier ones, motivators can be intrinsic or extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivators are stimulators driving behaviour change for personal inner-fulfilment, enjoyment, happiness, or satisfaction, and only occur when people are free to decide whether to engage.
As an example: one who loves strengthening exercise because "the boost in blood-flow feels good" is doing it for intrinsic reasons, while those who do it to "look better" are extrinsically motivated by reward. Someone reading a book because they enjoy the storytelling is intrinsically motivated while those who read to earn a test grade are extrinsically motivated.
Children regularly jump, hop, and skip just for the joy of it and their reward is hormonal happiness. Photo / 123rf
Children are great examples of being intrinsically motivated. They regularly jump, hop, and skip just for the joy of it, and their reward is hormonal happiness. As adults, we would be wise to follow in their footsteps and choose something to do that interests us for pure enjoyment, no strings attached.
The influences and focus that the media puts on society and personal looks is often the initial motivating factor for many to begin their weight-loss or fitness journey by adding physical activity to their schedule. These are extrinsic motivators relying on the reward of how one looks.
Both extrinsic body-related motivating factors and intrinsic behaviour motivators have merit. However, keep in mind that although extrinsic motivators are often more powerful in getting us started on a new habit, they are usually short-lived and hard to sustain because they rely on rewards or punishment – all temporary.
The reward of losing weight for example, or the punishment of gaining it. If the weight does not come off as we imagine it should in the timeframe we have set, we have opened the door to discouragement, disillusionment, and defeat.
Intrinsic motivators, on the other hand, are powerful self-motivators and produce a longer-lasting commitment to exercise or whatever our goals may be. Those relying on intrinsic motivators perform more persistently, achieve better results, and are less likely to quit. They are the clear winner when it comes to turning behaviours into lifelong habits.
• Extreme excitement and joy from working out (yes, there are people who just love working out!)
• Feeling the muscle burn and fatigue
Some examples of extrinsic fitness motivation:
• A desirable image/status
• Creating the perfect beach body
• Attracting a romantic partner
• Burning calories for weight loss
• Trying to fit into your favourite pair of jeans
• Looking good for a class reunion
Intrinsic motivators have staying power while extrinsic motivators can be fleeting. Together they make up the attitudes, underlying reasons, and personal goals that promote human behaviour, contributing to a happier mind and a more active, healthy life overall.
Understanding what motivates us on a personal level helps us to understand, strengthen, regulate, and change our behaviour for the better. It enhances our ability to succeed at anything in life including weight loss and fitness.
In the end, one thing remains the same no matter what the situation may be: motivation is a mover and there will always be a need for it to support change of any kind. But it does not just happen. We must make it happen.
