To stay motivated to exercise, tap into social networks. Research shows that social support can help people achieve fitness and health goals. Ask for workout tips and suggestions on Facebook or in email chains. Try not to network with others who might negatively affect your self-esteem or tempt you into living an unhealthy lifestyle.
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.
Recently Answered
-
3 AnswersA
National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 3 AnswersJust remember a wide variety of body types and people go to the gym and enjoy fitness classes. No one started off with the perfect body and being amazingly fit. At any modest sized gym you will find a wide variety of body types and fitness levels and a mix of regulars and newbies. Just remember that most people are there to work out and will be too busy focusing on that to worry about anything you think you may be doing wrong. Try a variety of classes until you find the one that fits you best. -
2 AnswersA
National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 2 AnswersIf you miss a day of working out don’t worry or panic. Fitness is a long term journey. You don’t become fit with one day of working out and you don’t become unfit by missing one day of working out. Fitness is determined by what you do over the majority of time not what you do on an individual day. If you are active on most days of the week it’s actually good to take a few days off to rest and recover. So if you miss a day don’t worry about it and just be active tomorrow.
-
2 AnswersA
National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 2 Answers
Enjoyment is often an overlooked component of an exercise program. Choose a fitness activity that fits with your personality and interests. This means that the exercise program and its activities must coincide with your personality, likes, and dislikes. You’re much more apt to continue with a program that is fun and challenging. Exercise does not have to be boring and painful. Moreover, exercise can come in many forms such as dancing, hiking, cycling, sports, and swimming. Exercise does not have to be performed in a gym tied to a treadmill. Be creative and ask loved ones to participate with you. Lastly, pick an exercise class that has participants of similar body type and ability. You will feel more comfortable exercising with individuals who have similar abilities and fitness goals.
-
2 AnswersA
National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 2 AnswersIf it’s been a while since you’ve worked out and want to get back into shape it can be natural to feel out of shape and be depressed you’re not as fit as you might have been at a previous point. If you feel out of shape remember that previous fitness levels can be achieved again quickly. It takes less time to get back into shape than it did to get in shape the first time. Keep this in mind if you’re feeling out of shape and remember that you’ll soon be back in shape.
-
2 AnswersA
National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredSee All 2 Answers
If you’re too shy to workout in a group, you can always work out by yourself or with a partner. If you are working with a personal trainer, express your concerns and perhaps they will be able to accommodate you.
-
8 AnswersA
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. -
3 AnswersA
Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 3 AnswersI know that "not thinking" may be how you got into this pants-stretching mess in the first place. When you don't think about the consequences of ordering football-sized calzones, you wind up with such pleasantries as high LDL lousy cholesterol, low HDL healthy cholesterol, inflammation in your arteries, and higher risk of aging arteries that cause memory loss, heart disease, even wrinkles, as well as a steady stream of coupon offers from the big-boy's department. What you're going for is making the biological changes so that you make the right choices—without thinking and that will lead to the results you want.
Unless you're the rare kind of person who responds to dietary drill sergeants, you won't find long-term solutions using traditional weight-loss methods—willpower, deprivation, fads, phases, or dead-bolting the lid of the butter pecan. Instead, you will train yourself through a successful weight-loss plan to never think about how much you're eating, never think about getting on a diet or worry about coming off one, and to never have to figure out formulas, zones or, for the love of (fill in the deity of your choice), place a chicken breast on a food scale. -
3 AnswersA
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.
-
16 AnswersA
Donna Verive , NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answeredSee All 16 AnswersSimply, yes. Do you ever recall hearing, "You are what you eat?" Well there may be some credence to this after all. Making sure that you’re eating a clean, energy appropriate, well balanced diet is key to improving your fitness level. Eating too much or too little can impact your fitness, strength, energy, and performance. If you are uncertain how to go about creating balance in your diet speak with a registered nutritionist or dietician.