At first, it seemed like a great idea. After over-indulging through the holiday season and bemoaning an expanding waistline in the bathroom mirror, a spur-of-the-moment declaration on New Year’s was going to get you back into your high school jeans.
But that resolution to get active has probably been forgotten.
It happens the same way every year: only a handful of people who crowd into gyms chasing visions of a slim new self actually survive the first few weeks of January. Come February, only the regulars remain.
There is nothing wrong with self-reflection and a desire to change, but rushing out to buy a discounted gym membership is not enough.
Sticking with it is a lot more difficult, and comes down to what motivates those gym visits.
Fitness is a big commitment most people aren’t ready to make. It has to be a conscious lifestyle and attitude change. If you haven’t thought it through, soon you’ll be hitting the snooze button instead of getting up for an early-morning workout.
The research has been around for decades and the messages are the same. In their 1988 book for personal trainers, Fitness Motivation: Preventing Participant Dropout, Walter Rejeski and Elizabeth Kenney say that many people begin fitness programs without examining why. Without an understanding of why they want to do it, it is much easier for people to become frustrated and give up.
Exercise is going to compete with sleep, family and recreation time, so it has to become a priority in your life.
That’s why finding the right motivation is so important.
Sports psychologists break down motivation into two categories: extrinsic and intrinsic. Pressure to trim that tummy or getting money back from your health insurance plan are external motivators, whereas personal drive, enjoyment and increased energy give people an inner desire to hop on the cross-trainer.
The urgings of a spouse or doctor can help get people started. The Heart and Stroke Foundation suggests another sure-fire way to get people off the couch: a $500 federal tax credit for adults enrolled in fitness programs, similar to the one for children that came into effect in Canada in 2007.
But getting active is only part of the equation. The people who stay active are usually the ones who are able move beyond that initial desire to lose weight and find deeper meaning in an exercise program.
A recent study of university students in Barcelona, Spain confirms that while feedback on progress, an external motivator, is important early in an exercise program, people are far more likely to keep coming to the gym if they have positive, emotional reinforcement.
For some, this might mean a personal trainer. For others, working out with a partner might be the extra push needed to keep hitting the gym even when tired and ready to quit. Buddying-up makes you accountable, and it can make the workout seem like less effort. If you don’t know anyone who is ready to take the plunge, websites like www.findworkoutpartners.com can pair you up.
A big part of that intrinsic motivation is finding what works for you. David Kealey, owner of Bytown H20 Studio, says heading to the gym isn’t always the solution. People are more motivated if they enjoy exercise. That might mean skating on the canal, snowshoeing in Gatineau or joining a recreational football team.
The right attitude also means having realistic expectations. Most people want results within a few weeks of beginning stomach curls and are discouraged when rock-hard abs aren’t revealed after a few weeks at the gym.
Experts say to start small: head to the gym three days a week instead of seven. There aren’t any quick fixes and you will hit a few roadblocks; cut yourself some slack if you don’t see results right away.
No matter what gets you there and what keeps you there, experts argue the bottom line is attitude and a thoughtful, conscious approach to exercise. This is the difference between those who make their New Year’s resolutions stick and those who start off the year in frustration.