Motivation in Fitness

Why do people start a fitness program, start to see it reap benefits, but somewhere down
the road, perhaps 3 or 6 months later, drop out completely? Why is it so difficult to get people to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle? Even though research shows that exercise can have many positive side effects such as controlling weight, improving health and helping persons "get the most out of life".

Fitness motivation is a complicated puzzle that each person must solve if we want to get and stay fit. There have been numerous studies and theories developed, but there’s not one right answer. Just as some workers are driven by salary and others by a sense of purpose, we all have a unique set of drivers that can propel our fitness motivation levels to the point where we not only reach our goals but we change our long-term habits and perhaps even motivate those around us in the process.

 Below are common reasons why people drop out from their fitness programs:

1.   The exercise might compete with other interests and/or responsibilities of daily life: Here’s a typical scenario; Annie was in an aerobics program for almost 5 months before she quit. Those early morning workout sessions just became too costly-not in terms of money, but on her social life. Because of the aerobic sessions, she had already missed a number of entertaining breakfast get-togethers with her friends.  Annie stopped because she valued her friendships over her aerobic sessions.

In commencing an exercise program, consideration must be given to significant others, as none of us lives in complete isolation. Sometimes, persons never stop to consider how their spouse feels about their involvement in a formal exercise program. Social support can be tapped into as an important part of motivating people in exercise settings.

2.   Failure to establish realistic goals: A typical scenario here is the case of Thomas. Tom worked out at the gym for nearly three months before he quit. His real downfall was that the reason he began to workout with the various machines and equipment was to develop a sleek muscular appearance. It never materialized, and Tom dropped out in great disappointment: he had set unrealistic goals for himself and wanted results too quickly.

It's not that you couldn't do it; you just never had a strategy, encouragement or guidance to lead you to your goals. Sometimes our goals seem so abstract that we lose sight of where we are, in terms of attaining them. We need milestones and recurring assessments to stay focused. Accept that your lack of results are based on the past, not the future, and resolve to start doing what works

3.   Failing to adopt the right attitude to fitness: Mary joined a fitness group to rehabilitate after suffering a heart attack. After 3 months, she felt she had a handle on the problem and decided that she would continue exercising on her own without the social support of the group. She was setting herself up for failure. Mary saw exercise as a temporary fix rather then a permanent lifestyle change.

Another scenario under this head refers to situations where the person is motivated by extrinsic factors instead of intrinsic factors. Extrinsic motivators originate from outside the person, such as winning a competition or getting your achievements mentioned in the newspaper. Intrinsic rewards on the other hand, are those which keep a person involved either because he/she finds it enjoyable or because it provides feedback on personal competence. It may take extrinsic rewards to get persons started on an exercise program, but a potential danger of continual motivation with these types of rewards is that the person exercising may give up when the reward is no longer accessible.