What’s the deal with motivation? How come we only ever feel short bursts of motivation to do things that we know are good for us? How come motivation doesn’t last? Let’s discuss the misconception of motivation.
First, there are 2 types of motivations. Intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation is the kind of motivation that you feel when you enjoy doing something for personal gratification, for example completing a challenging puzzle.
Extrinsic motivation is a little different, it doesn’t come from a sense of enjoyment but rather from reward or punishment, perhaps working for a paycheque or not stealing to avoid going to jail.
However extrinsic motivation is broken down into 2 groups, controlled and internally/behavioural regulated. Controlled motivation is the kind driven by self approval, or rewards and punishments. This kind of motivation is followed by a sense of fear, shame, dread, guilt, or anxiety is the action was not completed. Example: being motivated to exercise to get toned, but when you miss the gym you feel a sense of guilt and anxiety. Women deal with this kind of motivation more as there is a high societal pressure to be toned with a slim physique. The other type of motivation is behavioural, you do an action not necessarily out of enjoyment but because it is beneficial and valued.
Now, this leads to a few groups of people when it comes to exercise motivation. You likely fall in one of these 5 groups.
Completely unmotivated due to lack of interest. Exercise is not a priority, too busy with other things like work, school, family, etc
Unmotivated due to feeling incompetent, unfit, or a health limitation that hinders you from physical exercise.
Short lived motivation (controlled extrinsic). Can start an exercise routine but cannot follow through long term.
Behaviourally motivated. Exercise regularly because you know the benefits but dont enjoy it. This can be short and long term.
Intrinsically motivated. Exercise because they find enjoyment, personal gratification, satisfaction, fun, sense of achievement. This is usually long term.
If you completed my quiz which led you here, you already know which group you fall into! If you fall into one of the first 4 groups, you’re probably wondering how to get motivated? Let’s break it down group by group.
Group 1
You’re unmotivated because exercise is not a priority to you. You do not see yourself as an exerciser, or if you do you’re too busy and have more important matters to attend to. For you, you have to assess the Pros and Cons of exercise to see whether it is worth making it a priority. Let me help you out with listing some! Pros: increased energy, increased physical stamina, increased functionality, able to move around easily, lift heavier weights, better Cardiorespiratory health, decreased health risk, decreased bodily aches, decreased lower back pain, decreased lethargy, increased self esteem and confidence, better sleep, better sex. Cons: may cost time and money. So if there was a magic pill that you could take to achieve all of the above pros, wouldn’t you take it? Well that magic pill is available to you. Make it a priority, even if its just starting with a 20 minute walk 3 times a week, a little movement is better then no movement at all! Maybe that means sacrificing 20 minutes of sleep or TV time. Studies show that when you start to identify yourself as an ‘exerciser,’ you are more likely to stick to and enjoy exercising long term.
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
So finally, what is one thing that can benefit us all when it comes to exercise?
Gamification
In a paper entitled “The Pikachu Effect” a group studied the effects of Pokémon GO on physical exercise, health, and social motivation, they found that those playing the game for health reasons spent more time outdoors and more physically active than those not playing for health reasons. Health motivations predicted higher physical activity, and gamifying those motivations helped achieve that. However the group that was more immersively motivated (because of the story, the fun in the game, etc) was most active and spent the most time.
What are the benefits of gamification when it comes to exercise and motivation?
A boost of motivation to get you started
A transition from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation
Improved awareness of benefits and effects of exercise
Ability to track exercise and compare with previous findings and see how you’ve progressed
Self competition
Sense of achievement, immersing yourself in something, and social aspect
Here are the steps to follow to start gamifying your exercise routine!
Setting meaningful goals - make it personal, achievable, realistic, time sensitive, SMART.
Set challenges to help you reach that goal and break it down to smaller goals that will provide emotional sense of achievement
Set rules to make it challenging and fun
This means the game will not be too easy or too hard. Goal setting and the specifics of gamification will be an entire different blog post, so stay tuned. For now, try to make exercise a game. Perhaps you are involved in an Apple Watch Competition, perhaps you’re making that 20 minute walk with your dog a race, use your imagination, have fun, and start to enjoy the process.
References:
Kaczmarek, Lukas D., et al. "The Pikachu Effect: Social and Health Gaming Motivations Lead to Greater Benefits of Pokémon GO use." Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 75, 10/2017, pp. 356-363, doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.031.
Teixeira PJ, Carraça EV, Markland D, Silva MN, Ryan RM. Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012 Jun 22;9:78. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-9-78. PMID: 22726453; PMCID: PMC3441783.
Duncan LR, Hall CR, Wilson PM, Jenny O. Exercise motivation: a cross-sectional analysis examining its relationships with frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2010 Jan 26;7:7. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-7-7. PMID: 20181017; PMCID: PMC2835648.
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