Motivation and commitment are key components to reaching goals, both physically and mentally, for exercise. If you want to succeed with your training program, then knowing just what motivates you to improve is necessary – not only for exercise performance, but for adhering to a workout routine for the long haul.
Before determining what actually motivates you to continue exercising though, we need to take a closer look at what motivation means. Essentially, exercise motivation is what mentally pushes us to perform a certain way, or engage in a certain behavior.
Different Types of Motivation
There are two different types of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic. Knowing what powers you through both types is important for overall success! Think of extrinsic motivation as anything external of yourself – and in regards to exercise, that can be the motivation to fit into an old pair of pants, beating a previous 1RM, or even hitting a certain race time.
Intrinsic motivation can be thought of as an internal factor – and again, in regards to exercise, that can mean that you enjoy the exercise that you are doing, or the joy and rush it brings you during or afterwards. Motivation like extrinsic and intrinsic are typical in most people, although we might lean more strongly towards one or the other.
If you wonder how to stay motivated for the long haul regarding exercise, then digging a bit deeper into the intrinsic side of motivation is critical. Because eventually, you want to be able to find enjoyment, success, and reward in the activity you like to do.
Yes, goals and physical rewards of exercise that coincide with extrinsic motivation are good; however, oftentimes we hit that goal, and then motivation to continue can falter since we didn’t plan any further than that new 1RM or those old pants that now fit. On the flip side, once you hit those goals, the intrinsic motivation to keep going because the workout felt energizing! Your muscles are stronger, or you just feel better or had a wonderful time working out, which will be what keeps that exercise train going for the long run.
Setting SMART Goals
Aside from knowing the motivation background, setting SMART goals is another critical component to staying motivated to exercise. SMART is an acronym. It stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely – all factors that need to be considered when setting long and short-term fitness goals.
Instead of saying “I want to lose weight”, saying something like “I’d like to lose 5 pounds within the next 3 weeks by exercising 3 times a week” is more realistic and can hold you more accountable. Then once you realize you can achieve goals this way, it motivates in and of itself!
Find What Works
Everyone will have different motivational techniques and resources when it involves exercise. What works for someone will be different for someone else. Maybe having bi-weekly rewards will be helpful….maybe the accountability of working out with a friend.
Whatever the case may be, find an activity within the fitness world that will bring you joy – that in and of itself can be enough to spark that motivation for years to come!
