In this section we talk about what motivates us to keep going, the multiple health benefits of physical activity, and what a SMART goal is. By Rory Martorello
Motivation to workout can be an uphill battle if you're doing it for the wrong reasons. It turns out that according to a study conducted in 2009 motivation for getting healthy and staying healthy comes intrinsically, from within. This means that the best person to motivate you to be healthy is you! Your workouts should be structured based on what motivates you best. There are multiple ways to attack your workout plan in order to fit what motivates you. If you are a person that enjoys a specific type of exercise like hiking, weight training, swimming, etc. then you should structure your workouts around these activities. Doing what you enjoy is an easy way to stay motivated. Some individuals may not have a specific type of exercise that they enjoy, but they still want to stay healthy. This could be a negative, but this just means that you might be more motivated by the benefits of a healthy lifestyle than the actions themselves. This often leads to added benefits. People with this style of motivation tend to give extra care to diet for added benefits
Benefits of Physical Activity.
A systematic review of studies on the effects long term physical activity was done in 2013.
Physical activity had a negative effect on weight gain and obesity in healthy men between 22 and 55 years old. The people in the study that reduced their physical activity level over the time of the study gained a considerable amount of weight. All it took was about 45 minutes to 1 hour of brisk walking for healthy men to maintain healthy weight. This may seem obvious, but physical activity has many more benefits.
Physical activity can help against several ailments such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s. The studies had thousands of participants and showed that physical activity has a huge benefit that reduces the risk of getting these diseases.
Newer studies among college freshman indicate a correlation between physical activity and a reduction in episodes of depression and anxiety, along with the known benefits of improved self-esteem, self-efficacy and cognitive function.
Setting SMART goals.
Setting your own goals is important for growth with your physical activity journey. A SMART goal is one that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
For a goal to be specific a few things need to be clear. It needs to be specifically your own goal, and you need to know what needs to be done to accomplish this goal?
A measurable goal is one that has specific marker for accomplishment. Some people use the scale as a maker, but if your goal is to workout for 40 days in the next 2 months, then your marker would be the 40th workout in that time period.
An achievable goal is grounded. The goal should not be to gain 50lbs of muscle in a week or lose 50lbs of fat in a week. It should be a realistic goal that takes time, support, and equipment into consideration.
A relevant goal helps reach success, as well as fits your personal values.
A time-bound goal has a due date. It is not left entirely open ended in order to increase motivation and reduce procrastination.
Bibliography
Feng Q, Zhang Ql, Du Y, Ye Yl, He Qq (2014) Associations of Physical Activity, Screen Time with Depression, Anxiety and Sleep Quality among Chinese College Freshmen. PLOS ONE 9(6): e100914. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100914
Mata, J., Silva, M. N., Vieira, P. N., Carraça, E. V., Andrade, A. M., Coutinho, S. R., Sardinha, L. B., & Teixeira, P. J. (2009). Motivational “spill-over” during weight control: Increased self-determination and exercise intrinsic motivation predict eating self-regulation. Health Psychology, 28(6), 709–716. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/10.1037/a0016764
Reiner, M., Niermann, C., Jekauc, D. et al. Long-term health benefits of physical activity – a systematic review of longitudinal studies. BMC Public Health 13, 813 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-813