Motivation

Starting to get fit is often the easy bit, but several weeks down the line when things aren’t so new and have become more gruelling it’s easy to forget the promises you made yourself and forget exercising altogether. Research shows that nearly half of people starting on a new exercise programme give up within the first month and a further quarter pack it in within 3months. At Fitness Friends we would like to help[ you get motivated for exercise whatever level you are at and believe that by empowering you with certain motivational tools we can help you keep on track.

Why Do I Exercise?

The reasons why we choose to exercise really influences whether we stick to it or give it up after a few weeks. Feeling that it is your choice that you are starting to exercise is extremely important for maintaining your new regime. Exercising to avoid feelings of guilt or shame or because someone is telling you to can seem very controlling. Research shows that feeling controlled or not feeling that you are choosing to exercise can result in giving exercise up shortly after starting.

So how do you avoid feeling controlled and pressurised into exercising? Here are some tips to think about before you start:

• Try a number of new activities. This will give you a choice of how to exercise. Browse number sports clubs in our SPORTS DIRECTORY for new ideas.
• If you walk, jog or cycle, plan a number of routes to take. If you swim you could vary the number of lengths and use different strokes.
• Ask those who are close to you (family/friends) not to pressure you to exercise, but to support your new chosen lifestyle. Ask them not to make you feel guilty if you miss an exercise session but instead help you fit your exercise into your life by making time in the family routine.
• Try to avoid proving yourself to other people or exercising for the praise a gym instructor or partner might give you. Rewards such as this which are based outside of you as a person are unlikely to motivate you in the long term as they tend to become a controlling reason to exercise which distracts from your own reasons for exercise.

 

Buddy Up

The driving philosophy behind fitness friends is that we believe that by finding a friend or exercise partner, exercising becomes a whole lot easier. By joining up to fitness friends and actively searching for an exercise partner, you have already increased your chances of sticking to your fitness programme.

Exercising with a friend helps keep you on track for a number of reasons:

• Even the most seasoned exercisers feel like they don’t want to exercise some days. Having someone to encourage you along even on your ‘off days’ can be a real help.
• Your fitness friend can help remind you why you are exercising. Starting out together can ensure that you are both/all heading in the same direction.
• Working with another person can help you feel that you are not the only one! You can share success with each other, struggle together and encourage each other to stick with it.

 

Set Yourself Some Goals

Goal setting is a valuable tool is keeping motivated. However setting the wrong goals can be just as detrimental to sticking to a fitness programme. There are two very different types of goals, ‘intrinsic goals’ and ‘extrinsic goals’.

Intrinsic goals:

• are inline with your natural need to develop as a person ;
• e.g. "I exercise for the sake of good health" or "I exercise because it’s fun and enjoyable"
• they are more satisfying to pursue and will keep you motivated for much longer than extrinsic goals.

Extrinsic goals:

• goals are externally driven and are reliant on some other person’s opinion.
• e.g. "I exercise to look good" or "I exercise to avoid signs of aging"
• they will motivate you for a very short time but will not be satisfying enough to help you continue exercising into the future.

So before you start, take some time to consider why you want to exercise and make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.

You can set short term and long term goals relating to your fitness ambitions. Short term goals relate to the here and now. For example, if like swimming, set yourself the short term goal to go swimming 3 times a week and before each session, set a target of how many lengths you will do. Longer term goals are set with the future in mind, perhaps there is an event you wish to take place in or a health goal you wish to reach e.g. a local charity swim-a-thon or bike race.

Setting goals is very individual. Instead of telling you what goals to aim for, you can follow the SMARTER guidelines (see right) for advice on setting your own personal goals. Make a note of your goals, the act of writing them down will cement them in your memory. Display your goals in a prominent place (i.e. the fridge door) to remind you of them on a regular basis.

Training Diary/ Exercise Log

Keeping a training log is a good aid to use for motivation. By keeping a record of your exercise it helps you focus on your goals and it is extremely motivating to see in black and white what you have already accomplished.

Information to include in your training log might be:

• Type of activity
• Duration of exercise
• Note down if you achieved any session goals that you had set yourself
• Record feelings that you felt if you achieved goals
• Health parameters such as weight, body mass index, blood pressure
•Noticeable improvements in sleep patterns, mood and energy levels. Visible improvements in such health indicators are a valuable motivational tool to include.

Make it your choice
Don’t feel pressurised into exercise
Don't feel guilty if you miss a session

Trying new activities can really help with motivation. Search our Sports Directory for ideas of new activities

“Loneliness is not good for long distance runners or anyone else who exercises regularly”
Exercise raises the level of stress hormones, if you exercise alone these could have negative affects. Social contact helps to reduce stress levels in humans and therefore it is suggested that exercising in pairs or groups diminishes the potential negative effects of the production of stress hormones.
New Scientist Magazine (18th March 2006)

SMARTER Guidelines:

Specific - goals should be as specific as possible to focus attention
Measurable - goals should be assessed against a standard to acknowledge progress
Accepted - goals should be accepted by yourself andothers working with you
Realistic - be challenging but keep within your performance capabilities
Timephased - give yourself specific dates to work towards e.g. a race day or fun run
Exciting - goals need to be inspiring, challenging and rewarding
Recorded - write your goals down. It helps to evaluate progress, provide feedback and further motivation