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What motivates people to exercise? Why do some stick with it, while others can't seem to go the distance? Check it out... New Years - the most dreaded time of year for people who work out regularly. Not because of the few extra pounds that they have to drop in order to start getting ready for spring. The reason most dread New Years is because of all the "Good Intentions" members that suddenly appear. Don't laugh! Every year, the club is swamped with people who received new memberships for Christmas, or who decided for their New Year's resolution, that they would get in shape. So they come, and they exercise, and then they leave.
It's a cycle that is repeated, without fail, every year. For those of us who stick with it, it's almost comical. We know who the regulars are, and we can even usually tell who will be left standing when all the good intentions have fallen flat. It got me wondering though, what makes a person stick with an exercise plan?
As someone who has been working out and exercising regularly for over ten years, I'll attest to there being dozens of reasons why I "could" have stopped working out. There's work, my marriage, back surgery, social responsibilities, the list goes on. What it comes down to in the end I think, is resolve.
Why some people suddenly wake up one day and say, "That's it, I'm gonna get in shape," and why others never reach this plateau, is beyond me. Perhaps that, in itself, is the problem. For many, the act of starting something, is enough to motivate them into finishing it. Of course, lifetime fitness is never complete; it takes a constant effort. For others though, instant gratification is the key, and that my friends, is not something that lends itself well to fitness. Oh sure, for many obese people, the smallest change in activity levels will help them begin shedding pounds and seeing results. For those who are maybe only 15-20 pounds overweight and are more interested in getting stronger or healthier, fitness is a slower, steady process that doesn't provide quick results. In the meantime, many lose heart and stop.
People ask me all the time, "How do you stick with it?" Granted, at 155 pounds and only 5 feet 7 inches tall, I'm no Ferrigno. Heck, I'm not even Benfatto (sports nuts will know who he is - 5-foot tall man of steel) but I've achieved a certain satisfaction with my results that if I can maintain until I'm well into old age, I'll be pretty happy. My answer to this question of perseverance is simple, "Find your own motivation."
Speaking as a man, I can tell you that the motivation behind many men's exercise regime, is simple sex appeal. Gasp! Don't act so surprised. Men do many things that look to be done for one reason, but really come back to appeal. If I'm honest with myself, I know that I don't exercise so I can run for 3 miles. I mean, who cares? At my office job, what does it matter if I'm aerobically fit? Aha, but it does matter that I fill out that button-down shirt so that I look good for all the ladies. And yes, I am married, but that doesn't mean I don't want to look good. In fact, staying in shape for my wife shows that I respect our relationship and that I'm willing to put forth the effort to keep it healthy. I expect no less from her.
I can't speak for women then as to why many stick with a program. If the tight Lycra pants and belly shirts are any indication though, I'd say men and women have more in common than you might think. The point is, we all have our reasons. For some, it's to stave off another heart attack, or to help recover from some other medical problem. For others, it's to simply lose weight so they feel better about themselves. Each person has to figure out what it is that will make him or her stick with an exercise program.
One point I do want to make here is, notice that I haven't used the word "routine" in my descriptions of fitness. Our bodies get used to routines. Just as a body gets used to sitting on the couch and doing nothing, so will it get used to a ho-hum 3-day per week program of lifting light weights and walking on the treadmill. Your body builds muscle by stressing it past its normal expectations. That means lifting heavier weights than maybe you did last week. That means ramping up the treadmill to level 5 instead of walking flat. Vary speeds of exercise (weights and machines). Vary lengths of training and levels of intensity. Whatever you have to do to surprise your body and make your heart work harder, will help you keep moving ahead in your fitness goals.
Also, find some music that motivates you. A friend that used to work out at the same time I did, once asked me what sort of music I listened to while I was lifting. Just for fun, I asked her what she thought I listened to. Interestingly, she said, "Hmm, I see you listening to jazzy music or something." It cracked me up because I have to have a hard-hitting techno beat or I find my mind wandering. It just shows that each person is different. We each have different motivators and different needs to help us stay in touch with what we want to accomplish. So find some music that gets you going. With today's technology, you can get an MP3 player that can hold around 15 songs and is no larger than a pager. Unlike in the past, now you aren't forced to listen to whatever the club happens to be playing over the intercom.
The most important thing you can do this year for your fitness, is to get started. You'll never know what you've been missing until you start. Ladies, I guarantee that if you start lifting weights, you won't wake up one day and look like a she-man. And guys, those love handles aren't getting any firmer on their own. Get started today and who knows, next year, maybe we'll be both be chuckling at the new members.
Chris Souther
About the Author
Chris Souther is a Technical / Freelance Writer & Trainer in Atlanta, GA. His freelance articles cover a wide variety of topics. See his most current E-book on Job Hunting at: Http://Learn.To/GetaJobOnline