Positive feedback can help you stay motivated to exercise. A study found that people who self-monitored themselves using feedback messages from a personal digital assistant (PDA) had significantly more success reaching their fitness goals than people who didn’t get feedback. The messages were relatively simple, such as: “Super job on the physical activity. Try to repeat this tomorrow.”
Fitness Psychology
Fitness psychology can be an aid to those struggling with maintaining or starting a fitness program. Fitness psychology can help determine the barriers that one faces and help keep them on track with motivation and programs.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 6 AnswersLike a compass, your beliefs determine which direction you are headed. Beliefs help you assimilate new information and act as a guide when determining the choices you make. In terms of fitness, the beliefs you have developed, whether they are positive or negative, will create a either a clear path towards improving your fitness or will be a major obstacle. Improving one's health and fitness is a lifestyle choice. Lifestyle choices require a large commitment to bucking the status quo and incrementally establishing a new routine. Without the belief in the importance of these changes, the lifestyle changes you would seek will be nearly impossible to accomplish.
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Group exercise is a fun way to work out and can benefit you in several ways. First, it creates a social setting that provides an environment of camaraderie and support. You can bring a friend to a class or make new friends that share similar fitness goals. Next, group exercise provides structure. Most classes are planned out ahead of time and the instructor will guide you on the movements. Also, group exercise classes offer an opportunity for technique improvement Many instructors walk around the class to make sure you are performing movements correctly. In addition, knowing that an activity is held on a weekly basis can help you set up a routine that is easy to follow and stick with.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 8 AnswersLife is a team game—you've got sports teams and surgical teams, restaurant staffs and office staffs, hip-hop clubs and calculator clubs. And, of course, you have the ultimate team—your family. The most successful teams all work the same way: Everybody plays a different role and contributes in his or her own way. You may have a Shaq, Kobe, or LeBron on your team, but the team can't win the title unless everybody, not just the stars, works for the team goal.
Somehow, though, when it comes to weight control, you believe that you're solely responsible for dropping your excess pounds and changing your habits. To make it worse, when you're gaining weight, even the fans are chipping in on your side—the world around us wants us to gain weight in the form of big portions, drive-thrus, and family dinners that could feed a small municipality. Then when you're trying to lose weight, it's as if everyone's against you—they bring junk food into the home, suggest everyone goes out for ice cream, and feast on pork fat while you're trying to gnaw on cauliflower.
You have to stop thinking that this game is you versus a stadium full of ribs-loving opponents. Sure, it's true that you need to be the quarterback of your waist-control team, but you won't achieve success without a team that can block for you, high-five you when you're doing well, and give you an encouraging smack on the butt when you're not. Your starting lineup should include your doctor, maybe a nutritionist, maybe a personal trainer, and certainly scads and scads of fans like your family and friends (online or in person) who can push you, support you, and yank the bowl of candy corn away from you. -
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See All 3 AnswersFirst of all, you are not alone! I think most of us have felt this way at some point. My best advice is to show up early for class and introduce yourself to your instructor. Share with him/her any anxiety you may have. If this approach doesn’t work for you, come with a specific question to break the ice. Engaging in a conversation and making your relationship with your instructor more personal is a powerful way to connect and be seen. -
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 6 AnswersIn a big exercise class, some people get lost. For example, you walk into an exercise class that you've never taken before but several of the other people have been taking it for years. You don't know what equipment to use. You don't know what the expectations of the class are. You don't know anyone else in the class. No one greets you and many times no one really responds to the fact that you're even there. To become more comfortable in an exercise class, here are a couple of things you can do: observe a class you are interested in, have a conversation with one of the class participants, or talk to the instructor and if you are comfortable, share your fears. In most fitness facilities a participant or the instructor will also take the time to show you what equipment you'll need, how to get set up and what the expectations are. With a little homework you will feel much more confident walking into an exercise class.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 6 AnswersExercising helps build the confidence you need to feel okay in uncomfortable gym situations. Realize that as individuals, we can't all look perfect and we don't start off in shape. Getting in shape takes time, effort and dedication. Try to find out where your feelings of self consciousness stem from. Social physique anxiety is a comparison of how people perceive they look in comparison to others they see around them. Gaining an understanding of your feelings and in addition, finding options of comfortable clothing to wear is important so that you feel you fit in.
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Like other disciplines, counselors often have specialties. Counselors who specialize in health and fitness may be credentialed to work with eating disorders or wellness planning. These counselors will typically encourage self-responsibility, stress management, physical fitness, good nutrition, and the development of overall wellness to help their clients avoid illness.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 3 Answers
The truth: Many people are terrified by the thought of being thin. Being fat gives them an excuse to fail, an excuse to be depressed, an excuse to cha-cha with a chocolate bar.
You may maintain habits and thought patterns that keep you fat because your fat serves as a literal and metaphorical protective layer that keeps you from interacting with reality. You don't have to play the game of life if you're constantly making excuses for living on the bench. If only you could lose weight, if only you could fit into that bikini, if only you could take a hike with the family without breathing heavier than an inmate escapee.
While some people may say that fat is a failure, the truth is that fat - for many of us - is a way of avoiding failure, because it's an excuse for never competing and engaging in life. (Remember, "if only" are the world's two most dangerous words since jalapeno popper.)
It's important to be aware that this deep, in-your-gut feeling might be the reason why our society's belts are now being used to accurately measure out 5K road races. Simply realizing that you may use food as a psychological pain-killer is part of the solution for helping you avoid it. Once you realize that this emotion baggage doesn't serve you, you can take positive steps to get rid of it for good.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 7 AnswersThe possibilities are quite numerous. First and foremost, congratulations on taking the first step. Don’t concern yourself so much with working out, but make it a habit to become more active and move more. If you find yourself sitting, get up. Pace around the house or yard. That alone will almost triple the amount of calories you burn per minute. For now, your weight will actually work for you. The heavier you are the more calories you will burn when in motion. Starting a walking program is an easy and cost-free way to burn calories. Start out small and see what you can do. Only 15 minutes? Not a problem. Even 10-minutes is a start. Plus, you can do several smaller sessions if that is easier to fit into your day to get the same benefits. Three 10-minute sessions of walking adds up to 30 minutes. As you are able, add more time. Once you feel comfortable, start to walk faster. This will increase your intensity and calorie burn per minute. Look for an enjoyable area to walk that has elevations or surface changes. These will help break the monotony and also change up your intensity. If walking gets old, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of tapes and DVDs with bodyweight exercise programs. Find one you like and make your home your gym. As for resistance training, you don’t need much. There are plenty of inexpensive options such as dumbbell and tubing sets available almost anywhere. Look around and see what looks fun. The key is to do something active every day.