About Exercise Change

How to interpret...
Have a look back over your answers and see which letter was most commonly checked i.e. A, B, C, D, or E. The more of one letter you have the easier it is to interpret what motivates you to move.

If you find that you have mix of letters... Don't worry. This just means that you are motivated by different things. The information below will still be useful. Check it out...

Lots of As = What’s in it for me? You're likely motivated by vanity.
When it comes to moving you're mostly in it because of what it's going to do for your look. Whether this is weight, body shape or glowing skin, exercise is a means to a 'good looking' end for you. This approach works fine for most people over a shorter term time period but it's when you start getting into the longer term that this type of motivation may start to wane.

Various studies have shown that those using weight loss, or other vanity based reasons as their primary motivators typically exercised less after a years’ time than those with some other motivations. In many cases this was directly linked to the often unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves when setting weight and vanity based goals e.g. I'm gonna lose 10 kilos in 2 months, or get back into my high school jeans... Hmm, maybe not?

Smart strategies for this group include...

Ensure you set realistic goals. The 2 kilos you lose over 6 months is better than the 10 kilos you don't lose.
Get some professional advice on your exercise routine, diet etc. Doing this will ensure you don't waste your time and get disheartened. Isn't it worth $100 to know you're doing exactly what you need to do? Your call...
Keep it interesting! If you’re not in it for the exercise itself then you better make sure it's fun or at least varied enough to keep you interested. Doing different thing will also contribute to more effective weight loss.

Lots of Bs = Where’s the competition? You're likely motivated by competition.
Whether it's a solo workout or a team event you want to do the best you can. After all, why do it if you’re not going to excel right? Well the good news is that competition, especially when it’s about beating yourself rather than others is a great motivator and one that will sustain you over time. Regarding competing against others… This is still a great motivator but because it isn't 100% under your control, it is not as reliable as self-competition. Plus you don’t want to be that guy or girl that turns a ‘friendly’ workout into a life or death battle to determine who’s the most dominant. That’s no way to keep friends.

If you are the competitive type you will also need to be careful of over training. Your desire to be bigger, stronger, faster and generally better will mean you’re likely be more prone to injuring yourself from all that intensity.

Smart strategies for this group include...

For those of you that really want to excel, try visualizing. Research has repeatedly found it really does improve performance especially when you go beyond ‘seeing’ yourself moving and start to really ‘feel’ it.
Avoid injuries by trying different workouts, exercises and movements. This will ensure you don’t overwork specific body parts and will also provide a wider range of challenges.
Record your workouts. Whether you take stats from a heart rate monitor (e.g. fitbit) or record personal bests using an app (e.g. fitnotes), tracking your progress will ensure you always have a benchmark to surpass.

Lots of Cs = How is this improving my health? You're likely motivated by the benefits of exercise.
If this is you, you've tapped into to one of the most challenging, but beneficial forms of exercise motivation there is. Despite exercise having obvious benefits, for most people (obviously not you) these benefits are long term e.g. reducing the risk of heart disease, and as a result too far in the distance to seem relevant now. This is why it’s important for those in this group to keep their reasons relevant and strong.

In saying this we can still motivate ourselves using more easily measured health goals like ‘better sleep’, or ‘more energy’. In fact research has shown that when motivated by more easily measured goals we workout 25% more. Something to keep in mind.

Smart strategies for this group include...

If you do have big heavy reasons for wanting to exercise e.g. longevity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes etc., don’t forget to keep these reasons fresh and front of mind.
It also doesn't hurt to chuck in some shorter term health motivators e.g. improved sleep, more energy and better mental clarity for example.
Consider outdoor workouts. Research has repeatedly shown that getting outdoors results in feeling more energized, more connected with the environment, and less tense and angry immediately after exercising. This all equates to an instant affirmation that you’re doing your body good.

Lots of Ds = Will this fix my problems? You're likely motivated by fear.
Avoidance motivation is what this group is all about. Rather than working out to try and achieve something you’re doing it to try and avoid something e.g. gaining weight, developing heart disease, losing social connections etc. Depending on what you’re trying to avoid this approach can run into big problems. Firstly, it is more commonly associated with negative thinkers which isn't usually a winning quality when trying to sustain something challenging. Secondly in terms of avoiding something, you can never actually verify whether exercise is the reasons you don’t get something. This makes it a tricky type of motivation to sustain as opposed to a positive benefits based type motivation.

Smart strategies for this group include...

Do something fun! Try something totally different that you may have never previously considered as exercise e.g. dance, yoga, martial arts. Maybe you’ll discover moving can be fun and as a result you’ll develop a new, positive motivation for continuing.
Try and look for the positives of working out. Take some time at the end of a workout to think of the positives. Over time this will hopefully become your primary source of motivation.
Think about all of the things in your life that make you the most happy (family, friends, career etc.) then think about how working out could benefit these things e.g. if family makes you happy then consider how a fitter, happier you would benefit them.

Lots of Es = What do I get if I do this? You're likely motivated by reward.
Whether it’s a gym workout, a bike ride with friends or half marathon it doesn't matter to you. What really matters is the reward that comes afterwards. Maybe it’s a delicious dinner, maybe it’s coffee and cake with friends or perhaps it’s the certificate of participation or the big cross you get to put on your workout calendar when you’re done. In the short term, reward based motivation is a real winner. In fact research conducted in the US found that 97% of people met their fitness goals when there was a cash incentive for doing so.

There is a downside to this type of external motivation however. If you have the same reward often enough it will become common place and you will need to continually keep seeking out new rewards. Ideally you would convert to an intrinsic or internal type of motivation eventually which will be much more sustaining over time.

Smart strategies for this group include...

Try and make your rewards complimentary to your workouts. For example rewarding yourself with food could easily undo your efforts in the gym. Instead try experiences like hot baths, massages or movies.
Alongside your external reward based motivators, try to establish some internal motivators as well. Regularly considering all of the physical and mental benefits you get from exercising may start to tip the balance in favour of intrinsic motivation.
Keep your rewards fresh and varied. Using the same reward often will result in expectancy rather than a reward feeling which will defeat the original purpose.

What Motivates You?