We’ve all heard those people who say “running gives you a high” or “exercise is addictive,” but for many of us, it’s hard to love exercise. Some might even say they hate it, fear it, or that the idea of going to the gym makes them anxious.
Why do some of us hate exercise? And how can we overcome this to reap the life-saving benefits of putting the body in motion?
Humans didn’t evolve to ‘exercise’
Throughout most of human history, food was scarce and being active was not an option. For millennia, humans had to move around to find food, and once they were fed, they rested to conserve energy, because they didn’t know where their next meal would come from.
So if you feel like sitting back and watching Netflix instead of hitting the gym, you can take comfort in the knowledge that resting is a natural human tendency.
Having said that, our 21st century lifestyle involves a lot of sitting back and lounging. With technology, cars, and other labor-saving devices, it is no longer necessary to move for daily survival.
However, being physically inactive is terrible for our health. A meta-analysis published in a prestigious medical journal the lancet found that physical inactivity is associated with a 30-40% increased risk of colon cancer, a 30% increased risk of breast cancer, a 20-60% increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and a 30-50% increased risk of premature death, compared to being physically active.
So how much physical activity do you really need?
It is recommended Australian adults (ages 18-65) engage in at least 150 (but preferably 300) minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Moderate-intensity exercise can be a brisk walk, light bike riding, or mowing the lawn.
If you’re willing to do vigorous physical activity, you only need half as much (75-150 minutes per week). Vigorous activity is anything strenuous enough that you’d have a hard time having a conversation: jogging or running while playing a sport like soccer or tennis.
A variety of types of activity are encouraged as different physical activities carry different benefits. Muscle-strengthening exercises, such as lifting weights or doing push-ups, are recommended twice a week to keep your bones and muscles strong.
If all of that starts to sound too complicated, rest assured that ANY exercise is good for you. You do not have to meet the physical activity guidelines to benefit from physical activity.
What are some science-backed tips to get motivated?
According to psychologists, there are two main types of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from within: doing something for the personal reward or challenge of doing it. Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors, such as trying to get a reward or avoid punishment.
You can enhance your intrinsic motivation by identifying why exercise is important to you.
one. Identify your “why”: do you want to exercise for your health? Is it for your children? Is it because of how exercise makes you feel? Exercise has long-term benefits for health and function, ongoing benefits for your children, and immediate effects on mood and vitality. Being clear in your mind about what you want to get out of exercise can help you action.
Extrinsic motivators can also help you get started with exercise.
two. Arrange to meet up with a friend to exercise together. You’ll be more likely to move on, since you don’t want to let your friend down. In addition, research suggests that people exercise for more extensive when they exercise with family and friends compared to those who exercise alone
3. Reward yourself with a new piece of clothing or shoes you’ll enjoy working out in. Be sure to make the reward conditional in doing a certain amount of exercise, so you have to earn it
Four. get an activity tracker. Fitness trackers have a lot of features designed to increase motivation, such as prompting, self-monitoring, and goal setting. There is a lot of research suggesting activity trackers increase physical activity
5. exercise at the same time every day, so it becomes a habit. Research suggests exercising in the morning leads to faster habit formation compared to evening exercise
6. Do an activity that you enjoy. Starting a new exercise habit is hard enough. Increase your chances of job with him doing an activity that he finds enjoyable. Plus, you may be exercising at a higher intensity without even realizing it, if you’re doing a form of exercise that you enjoy. If you hate running, don’t. Go for a long walk in nature.
7. start small. Leave yourself wanting more, instead of overdoing it. You are also less likely to feel pain or injure yourself
8. to listen upbeat music improves mood during exercise and reduces perceived exertion, leading to higher work output. These benefits are particularly effective for rhythmic and repetitive forms of exercise, such as walking and running.
9. Take your dog for a walk. dog walkers walk more often and longer than non-dog walkers, and report feeling safer and more socially connected in their neighborhood10 make a financial commitment. Behavioral economics theory recognizes that humans are motivated by loss aversion. Some commercial websites have taken advantage of this for health by having people make a “commitment contract” in which they pay a financial deposit that is forfeited if the health behavior commitment is not met. This approach has been shown to improve physical activity, medication adherence Y weightloss.
Be patient with yourself and keep the long game in mind: take around From three to four months to form an exercise habit. After that, intrinsic motivators take over to maintain your exercise routine. Who knows, maybe you will be the exercise addict and inspire your friends and family in a few months.
Carol Maherprofessor, emerging leader of the Medical Research Future Fund, University of South Australia Y ben singhResearch Fellow, University of South Australia
This article is republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the Original article.
