Motivate Yourself Past Exercise Blocks
In addition, there are mental roadblocks, such as feeling self-conscious about how you look when exercising or fearing injury. Overweight and obese women are more likely to limit themselves with these barriers than other women, according to research from Temple University in Philadelphia.
When a block arises, "the first step is just to accept that it's happened, recognize that you can't do anything about what has been, but you can do something about what happens in the future," says Amy S. Welch, PhD, an exercise psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Iowa State University in Ames.
That doesn't mean you should just grit your teeth and push yourself to run three times a week.
"You need to take a look at what your current situation is and redo your exercise goals with respect to what is currently realistic," Dr. Welch says.
Evaluate what you do and don't have control over, she recommends. "Don't focus on the past. Focus on the here-and-now."
Block-busting advice
These suggestions can help motivate you past an exercise block:
Do less, not more. It's important that physical activity feel good in order for you to enjoy it—which leads you to want to repeat it. Pushing yourself to start exercising at a high intensity or frequency rate or to match a previous high level, results in a negative experience and keeps you blocked. Instead, move more slowly and for shorter sessions. Activity can be accumulated over time and doesn't have to be vigorous to be worthwhile.
- "When you decide to do less, you do more," Dr. Segar says. "People have grandiose plans to do 40- or 50-minute workouts. If you understand that everything counts, you get more physical activity…(than before when) you wouldn't have done anything because you didn't have the full 50 minutes."
Distraction helps. Dr. Welch's research shows that listening to music while exercising brings positive feelings because it activates the brain region that controls negative emotions. Lower intensity also produces a positive psychological state, so be sure to include a cool-down period after activity.
Change your mindset. If you've been trying for years to lose weight by exercising and it hasn't worked—or you got only short-term results—maybe it's time to rethink the result you want. The goal you set is the starting point for your behavior, Dr. Segar explains. Motivation fuels that behavior, like gas stations on a road trip. If your goal changes to wanting to increase your feeling of well-being, you will be more likely to become more physically active in ways that fit your life, help you feel better and are more sustainable for the long-term. Your motivation is then less likely to be thrown off-track or become blocked.
