Motivation comes from the root word motive, or ‘something that causes a person to act in a certain way or do a certain thing’. When it comes to health and fitness, motivation is what gets you started on a fitness program and healthy eating plan. It’s what moves someone from a sedentary lifestyle to an active lifestyle, from a diet of processed, foods to whole, energizing foods.
In this article, I will focus on finding that initial motivation to get started, and provide some practical exercises to help you get motivated.
Motivation to exercise stems from a desire to change: either to move toward something positive (e.g. Being healthy and fit), or to move away from something negative (e.g. Avoiding disease, avoiding weight gain). Psychologists describe the desire to change with ‘The Stages of Change’ model. There are five stages of change. Today, I will tackle the first three.
The first stage of change is ‘Pre-contemplation’. In this stage, the subject does not act or think about change. One may be unaware of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, be satisfied with current state of health, or may simply not care to change. Chances are, if you are willfully reading this article, you are at least thinking about fitness, and are not in this stage of change. I rarely get the opportunity to meet with people in the pre-contemplation stage, since the act of calling me or searching for fitness opportunities implies a contemplation of change. If you are in the pre-contemplation stage (perhaps someone is forcing you to read this), or if you know someone who should start exercising, but has no intention to start, a good beginning is to increase awareness of the importance of healthy habits. It is not realistic to try and move a pre-contemplator to action with advice. The idea is to be a listening ear and be there to help the person when they do decide to take a step towards action.
The next stage of change is ‘Contemplation’. In this stage one has intention to change, but not right away. They might have mixed feeling about exercise, and not be very confident that change is possible.
If you are in the contemplation stage, now is the time to list all the ‘pros‘ and ‘cons‘ for change. In one column, write down all you reasons why you want to get into better shape. It might be to feel amazing in a bikini on your vacation in Mexico, to reduce your blood pressure, or, to set a good example for your children. Writing your ‘reasons why’ is a great exercise to do regardless if you are thinking about exercising, or already partaking in a fitness program. I regularly use this exercise with my clients to ensure their continued motivation and success. In another column, write down all the reasons why you should not start exercising and eating better. For example, a few reasons might be that you will need to take pack your exercise gear to work, or you will will be home half an hour later from work, or you have to shop for produce more often. Compare both columns and decide whether the ‘pros’ outweigh the ‘cons’. Consider both numbers of pros and cons and importance of your reasons. If your ‘pros’ outweigh the ‘cons’, congratulate yourself. You have progressed to the next stage of change!
The third stage of change is ‘Preparation’. Preparation describes one who may have tried to change in the past year, may already be making small changes, or intends to change in the next few weeks.
If you are in the preparation stage, focus on the reasons why you want to change, and set a goal. For tips on how to set goals, go to www.ascendfitnesscoaching.com/goals. Once you know where you want to be, it’s important to create a plan to achieve your goals. Make sure your plan is manageable- you can always increase your activity level or further change your eating habits down the road. An example of a plan may be to walk for 20 minutes on your lunch break each day and to replace your processed snack foods with fruit and vegetables. A qualified fitness professional can help create a plan that works for you.
No matter which stage of change you are in, follow the action steps to progress to the next stage. In my next article, I will discuss the final two stages of change, and offer ways to stay motivated once you have started your exercise program.
Tanja Shaw is a Kinesiologist and Fitness Coach, specializing in weight loss, group fitness, pre and postnatal fitness, and health and wellness programs. She owns Ascend Fitness Coaching, home to Ascend Fitness Boot Camp, Stroller Boot Camp, and personal training programs. For more fitness tips go to www.ascendfitnesscoaching.com.
