Some people require a different kind of external or "pull" motivation in order to reach their goal. One of the most popular way for those late night TV ads to sell you P90X or some other kind of ridiculous workout trend (ShakeWeight) is to show you those before and after pictures. People see that and say wow I can look like that if I buy this, but once they get it they usually lose that initial drive they had to lose weight from the pictures. One person I know takes pictures of himself regularly to track how his workout routine is working (because you you usually can't see yourself getting bigger). And I know for his inspiration he goes back tot he very first picture he took and sees how far he has come and he realizes that he can keep going and look even better.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Exercise Motivation
Most people that I know who exercise often have a hard time getting motivated when they start and sometimes have problems staying motivated once they've begun. Some people need to exercise because they aren't happy with the way their body looks or they need to be in better shape for an activity/sport they are participating in. This is a perfect example of the push-pull metaphor of motivation. Some people push themselves to be in shape simply for their own reasons (want a better looking body) while other people are pulled toward fitness (getting ready for a triathlon). These guys are mainly talking about personal motivation and trying to motivate yourself, by yourself (push).
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When I was younger, I always needed some kind of motivation to exercise. Everyone used to tell me I am fat and need to get in shape, but now I exercise on my own almost everyday just because at the end of it makes me feel good about myself. good topic.
ReplyDeleteExercise is great because it releases good endorphines that make you feel good. It is however sometimes hard to get motivated, partnering up with someone else can be helpful.
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