What Motivates Me To Exercise: Beliefs, Perceptions and Imagination
by Erik Braunitzer
(NY, NY)
When it comes to exercise, nothing motivates me more than gaining weight. And I think this really is the driving factor behind most people who stay active. However, for those of us who really don't care about cholesterol levels or how much we weigh, there's one easy way to make sure you're committed to exercise.
There's one common characteristic that we all share as human beings, and that's our ability to perceive things for what they are. Similarly, we all have our beliefs. We can use these perceptions and beliefs to really make sure we hit the ground running when it comes to fitness.
Basically, we have to understand that fitness can't really be looked at as mandatory, like a job. For a handful of people, this is true, particularly for those of us who aren't involved in sports or any activities that involve rigorous repetition. In order to locate this state of mind, you must really use your imagination to understand a world with better health, both in the short and long term. For instance, not many of us think of it, but when we eat fattening things we feel bloated and sweaty. If an exercise regimen is introduced, this will promote higher metabolism, which may abolish some of those feelings.
That's a bit of a cheesy example I know, but it's more than factual. The same can be applied for your diet; if you're eating unhealthy, perhaps it's time to stop that as well. Nonetheless, let me try to enlighten you a bit more. Let's say for instance that you're slightly overweight and have mild concerns about it. Your doctor fines nothing legitimately wrong with you. His professional opinion mixed with your satisfied self-perception will very much so keep you from hitting the gym. BUT, you've noticeably gained weight over the past few months, and if you were to continue to same type of trend, you're undoubtedly going to gain a somewhat extensive amount of weight in the future. Here is where you'll encounter your problems, and if you can take the time to understand this, you'll realize you need to shift.
You're probably saying to yourself, well this is all very obvious, but it still doesn't make me want to exercise. Well, aside from this, one of the biggest factors that allowed me to find some sort of excitement in fitness is excitement itself. You need to figure out just what it is that you enjoy doing before you pursue physical activities. For some people, it's simply running. In fact, there are individuals in the world that run over 8 miles a day - and these aren't professional athletes. Some of us enjoy dance, particularly because it can be done at home with self-instructing games like Zumba Fitness for Xbox. For me, it was sports in general. I have a very competitive nature about me, and love engaging in things like intramural basketball, soccer and volleyball - Pretty much anything that involves a ball will do just fine.
It all stems back to my inherent competitive nature - it continues to thrust me in the direction of fitness. This is where I find my enjoyment, and it's how I continue to perceive who I am. I believe the only way to truly stay in shape is to like what you're doing that's keeping you in shape. It would be hard to imagine my life without these activities.
Most people don't really change until they reach their precibus, meaning that they've encountered some sort of traumatic health problem and need a change. This works too! But, for anybody that truly wants to yield a commitment to action, you should entertain your interests, and find ways to pursue them. Likewise, feel free to let your mind wander and open up to the idea of physical and strenuous activity or diet.
E. Braunitzer, on behalf of Douglas Elliman Real Estate Company, agents for New York City Rentals
I'm a member of the off-site creative writing department on behalf of PDE. I'm a fan of athletics, real estate, home exercise and anything that has to do with promoting long-term viability. The future is where it's at!