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 2 AnswersNot everyone is in the same place when it comes to exercise. We are not all designed to start and continue to exercise for a lifetime. Exercisers go through five stages of change when it comes to exercise and it takes about 6 months. The precontemplative stage is filled with people who don't want to exercise. These individuals have probably never exercised, didn't grow up with it and don't understand it or the benefits it provides. The contemplative stage is for people who begin to see there is a need for exercise but the con's outweigh the pro's. These potential exercisers may have had exerperiences with exercise in the past, but those experiences may not have been positive which would lead them to quit exercise. In the preparation stage people are starting to think about exercising. These people have a plan to begin an exerice program. In the action stage, exercise has started although the habit hasn't yet formed. These exercisers have not maintained a regular exercise program for 6 months. An individual in the maintenance stage has exercised regularly for 6 months, forming the new change or habit. In each stage a person can move forward or backwards. -
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 2 AnswersIf you are too shy to exercise in a group, choose an activity you can do on your own, such as following along with an aerobics class on TV or going for a walk.
Remember that everyday activities you do on your own, like gardening and household chores, get you moving and help burn calories. -
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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.
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Jay Morgan, NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answeredSee All 3 AnswersAccording to the trans theoretical model of change, individuals go through stages of progress as they implement change. Individuals go through pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, and action within the first six months of installing a new habit. Research has indicated that many individuals stop exercising during the first three to six months. For individuals that have made it through the first six months, they then enter the stage of maintenance.
The most important factor in the maintenance stage is to create the proper environment for continued success. A healthy social network is a good place to start. Spending time with family and friends that maintain healthy lifestyles can enhance the individuals chance to create permanent change. Periodically or regularly the individual should maintain a journal. Journaling is a great tool for monitoring your habits, and re-energize habits that are slipping. Working with a qualified health coach is another strategy to help motivate, educate, and guide the individual for continued success. Setting up rewards through this stage is another tool the individual can utilize to increase the likelihood of permanent change.
An individual in the maintenance stage is working towards the final stage of change: termination. Behavioral changes can take years to fully develop within an individual. Once termination has been meant the individual cannot see themselves stopping the habit. The habit becomes them.
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Audrey Quick , NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answeredSee All 6 AnswersAbsolutely! Rewards can help motivate you to achieve exercise goals. Just choose your rewards wisely. It would be counter-productive to have a candy bar as a reward, but a fun choice might be a new exercise clothes or music. -
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Mr. Donovan Green , Athletic Training, answeredSee All 2 AnswersFitness begins with the mind, not the body, according to Dr. Oz's personal trainer, Donovan Green. Watch the video to learn how positive thinking can make for better workouts.
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Jill Goldstein , NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answeredSee All 6 AnswersMotivation and Education is why Health and Fitness counselor is incredibly important. The majority of people drop their programs within six months without a Fitness professional. I know in my own journey, when I have someone coaching me, I have much more success than when I use my own devices. It is just as important to have a coach, as it is a primary care physician and dietian. You need a team of people to keep you on track of your journey, not to mention friends and family. -
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Joan Roth , NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answeredSee All 7 AnswersYou're not alone. Many people put off starting a program because they are not comfortable going to a gym. To give yourself the best chance at long-term success, set yourself up with realistic activities that will help you progress and build confidence. You can begin by adding some brisk walking to your day - before work, during work or even at the end of the day. Just parking far away from your building can add activity and valuable calorie burning to your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator if it's an option. And if you want to kick-off a more formalized exercise program at home, clear some space where you'll be able to move around a bit and where you have good ventilation. Purchase some basics like free weights, exercise tubing, a stability ball and a foam roller. If you can, work with a fitness professional or virtual coach or try some exercise videos to get started. You'll get there...one step at a time. -
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Tyler Wallace , NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answered on behalf of National Academy of Sports MedicineSee All 4 AnswersYes. An exercise physiologist can help you with a fitness and exercise program. Specifically they can help with testing and laying out a specific plan as it relates to exercise. You can also seek out the help of a certified personal trainer who may have exercise physiology background and who has also gone through a certification program to receive a plan that includes assessment and program design of your exercise and nutrition needs.