It's Tough, Exercise Motivation!
But You Can "Circumvent" It Somehow

The Sad State of Things

When we fuse exercise and motivation together, we've got exercise motivation....

Don't you think we're making it (motivation) harder still?

I mean, on its own, motivation is already a hard thing to grapple with, now this?

You wonder: "Would I ever make it, this exercise motivation stuff? As it is, I'm already struggling to keep from falling off the exercise wagon!"

Yes, I admit. Motivation is the hardest part and it's always the missing ingredient in our exercise program....

Tough! Tough! Tough! Exercise motivation....

Wait till you want to start. It's even tougher! This is because the inertia can dislodge you; you simply are not motivated!

OK. The main contention here is the lack of motivation to exercise as we all seem to have 101 excuses NOT to exercise when we should exercise.

The simplest dictionary definition: motivation is that which gives purpose and direction to behavior. By this definition, we would be looking for something to move us to exercise or something to get us moving.

What would that "something" be?

For me, it's the desire to sustain myself in good health, in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s.....

I won't be afraid of being old or bed-ridden with sickness and not able to do the things I love to do. I'll be able to brag about taking the stairs with ease, run with heart-pumping efficiency of a younger woman and sprint like a cat......

Yo-Ho! Life is beautiful!

I don't know about you, but that, I think, is the greatest exercise motivation for me!

Now come back to you, what would that "something" be?

Could it be losing weight; staying slim; keeping healthy weight; living longer for yourself and for your loved ones?

It doesn't matter what that "something" is; the important thing is this - are you motivated to at least exercise?

You reckon these "somethings" are enough to motivate you and I to exercise?

Sad to say, they aren't....

Because we're still thinking that exercise motivation is something that will come to us one day. You know, kind of like you've an epiphany or the "AH HA" moment.

I'm talking about what most people are "secretly" hoping for - that you get to a certain point in your head or even in your life and then it's for real that you CHANGE ! To exercise! Just like that......

In a flash, you stop making excuses not to exercise! Like a bulb in your brain suddenly "lights" up and you see things clearly!

Or you've that "AH HA" moment.......

Well, it could happen like that to some of us.

For my friend, that time came when she realized she was socially "ostracized" because of her size......

For my brother who've never exercised one day in his life, that moment came when he experienced strong heart palpitations....

My "epiphany" came the moment I was called "round and fat". That's when I knew I needed to get into shape, very much so....

This is the so-called moment of "epiphany", the strong inspiration of exercise motivation that lasts an imprint in you that won't waver - that you need to do "something" to change your situation, to EXERCISE.

However, that moment of intense, burning inspiration may not happen to us at all and some of us may not get it when it happens!

The bottom line? Don't hope for this "epiphany" moment because in most cases, the real motivation to exercise doesn't just come like that to you or like if you wait long enough, someday you'll just wake up and find that you just want to exercise!

You'd do better treating exercise motivation as something you create for yourself, not something you wait for.

The most logical reason for you to want to exercise would most probably be propelled by 2 opposing emotions - fear and desire.

Let's talk about fear first.

You're afraid your health will get worse if you don't do anything (in this case, exercise).

Or you're afraid you can't enjoy doing the things you like to do and have to depend on others when you're old - that could send you off to exercise pronto!

Perhaps like a friend of mine (who's overweight) actually hauls her "couch-potato self" off the couch to exercise because she's so scared she might die of obesity-related complications: coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke.....

So fear does have a place to motivate people to exercise.

However, for some of us, fear may not trigger any action because we're so innate NOT to exercise!

So there, you're back to square one.

Now let's look at desire.

You desire to be healthy and fit; desire to have a beautiful body; desire to do things you enjoy and able to do when you're old; desire to live healthily all your life.......

If you strongly, strongly yearn for one of these desires, then may be you'll have the strong drive to power on - exercise regularly.

BUT, not many of us are born with such bountiful drive that can help us along. For many of us, that drive's just not there!

Goodness, what's left for you now, if you still want to gain health and keep fit?

OK, I've got 3 strategies here to help you have a lasting, impressionable change that comes from deep within you. In other words, you "create" your own exercise motivation!

1. Start Slow

You just start by taking a small, baby step, one at a time.

Do cardio for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, as you pick up stamina along the way.

Gradually add in strength training, stretching, Pilates/Yoga.

Throw in healthy eating when you're ready for it.

This way, you'll be able to cope with the little changes nicely and not suddenly overwhelmed by "seas" of changes which you can't handle and you quit!

2. Arrest Your Wavering

The initial stage is always the most difficult to tackle because one, you keep on postponing your schedule, mostly intentionally; two, you come up with all sorts of excuses and three, you start off nicely but when you don't see results, you back off.

Meaning, you waver easily and unashamedly!

The best way to tackle this wavering is to unclutter all things that tend to hold you back - excuses, commitments of all kinds, wrong attitude (laziness, lukewarm attitude, procrastination) and wrong perception about exercise, amongst others.

When you're unencumbered by these things, you'll get a new, fresh start and will exercise steadily on. You won't easily fall off the exercise wagon!

3. Covet The Results - They Are Your Savior

Results, results, results!

When you see results like you lose weight; have better health, increased energy, better sleep and enhanced strength, I'm very confident you've reached your moment of "exercise epiphany"! Whoa! Talk about a new found life, you sure have got one ahead of you!

The results won't lie. They're the best testimonies to your exercise effort and your deepest, unshackled exercise motivation that's anchored within you!

And they're the best weapons to arrest your wavering.

You'll exercise on regularly.

Now you can rest your case about making new year resolution to exercise!

Congrats!

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