An article came up on my yahoo news about what excuses people have to not exercise. Since we directly talked about exercise in class, I found this article and other links attached to be very relevant! The quiz determines what motivates you and then has suggestions and tips on how to best use your motivation style to apply it to exercise.
Here's the article: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/14638/jillian-michaels-debunks-your-top-8-excuses-for-not-being-fit/
My motivation personality is driven by deadlines. I tend to exercise regularly in preparation for an event or some other goal. So for me, I am motivated when I have specific goals or deadlines that are generally more short-term so it's easy to stick with it. I also do best when I have variety and new challenges, and when I have accountability or a workout partner. The application for me is that I need to make sure I have a new goal once I complete one, that way the routine will stay varied but I won't stop exercising after I reach a deadline! My current goal: fitness and toning for my wedding in August!
What is your motivation personality? How can you apply that to your own exercise routine? What are current exercise goals that you have?
I took the quiz on that you posted and I also got the "Driven by Deadlines."
I think that most people will get motivated to complete an activity if there is a set deadline that must be met approaching. However, I do agree that this is the best way to get me motivated to complete tasks that I do NOT want to complete.
I am a huge procrastinator, so I am not sure that I would be able to keep deadlines that I set for myself. However, if I could put someone else in charge of my deadlines it may work. For example, for my senior honors thesis I really do not want to procrastinate. To avoid this, I have given my deadlines to my advisors so that they are essentially enforcing those deadlines.
--Due to the aforementioned procrastination and necessity of deadlines the best way to force myself into exercise I have to be a part of "class," which has yet to happen as of yet. Maybe this semester...
My motivation personality is "Inspired by the Future" which I think is very true. I eat healthy and exercise regularly (or as regularly as I have time for) and I do these things because I know that they are important for my overall health. I would pretty much say I'm on a constant diet of just simply eating right, however it's not necessarily to look better but more so that I feel better and that I'm healthier. I really enjoy working out and I think that if more people worked out in college they would be a lot less stressed and happier. If you don't believe me just try it for a week and see how you feel!
My current exercise goal is simply to exercise at least every other day. I do a lot of videos and elliptical at home which is quick.
When looking at the motivation side of this issue, I do think there is a lot to be said about motivation keeping you on track. For instance, I am much more motivated when I am alone and able to make my own meals etc. I becomes much harder when I'm out or with people who don't follow a similar diet to mine. I think that is why my motivation style is more laid back because I don't beat myself up for indulgences I just always remind myself to get back on track!
I took the quiz and had ¨Inspired by the future,¨ which says I try to follow the modest, regular healthy habits that pay off long-term. I would agree with this for the most part. In high school, I was pretty thin but my dad did tell me at one point to stay thin as I got older, I would have to find an activity to maintain my thinner figure. I do have bigger boned family genes, so I suppose I believe it, even though my metabolism is still high at 21 years old.
I think my motivation though is by how exercising making me feels. Of course, I crank up my routine with an extra mile or crunches just like anyone when there is an event coming up. But no matter the subject of motivation I think it depends on a person´s background from their family and friends. I have a very active family and somewhat active group of friends, so I am used to running with my mother and best friend on a regular basis. For me, at least if I have someone else with me, or in some cases my iPod to motivate me, I can get through a work out pretty easily.
I also pair my fitness with other healthy habits, so I´m not just binging with food and alcohol everyday and fighting it back with a 3-mile run. The more of an effort I make all around, the better I feel overall and also have better self-esteem about myself. I think that is my ultimate motivation-feeling comfortable in my own skin...
I took the quiz and found out that I am "Driven by Deadlines". It said I lack motivation, and this is so true (unfortunatly).
I live off campus and have the excuse that I hate driving the wrc and trying to find a parking spot. I'd like to be part of a class or sport but don't want to have to pay for it.
Also, when I lived on campus I had motivation to go work out with my friend because it would give us a "scheduled" time to hang out...and work out!
It may be cliche, but this year I want to start eating healthier and being active. I just need to motivation to get to a gym somewhere, because I love how exercise makes me feel.
A goal I have that I think would help motivate me is knowledge and information about healthy habits that I can easily understand and believe in. That way I will be able to stick to them and hopefully they will become part of an everyday routine.
I wasn't at all surprised by the results of the quiz when it said that I'm one who is "Inspired by the Future". I took a quiz the other day on strengths quest.com and one of my top five strengths was adaptability and it described me as being able to take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time. It also said that I'm quite comfortable about letting my future unfold at its own pace. It was kind of scary how accurate this strengths quest questionnaire turned out to be. And then I took this quiz about exercise and it basically said the same thing. I have no motivation when it comes to exercise. The last time I did exercise was over Christmas break. The sad part about that was that I was so bored that going to the gym seemed like the most exciting thing in the world. Anyway, walking on a treadmill slightly at an incline did wonders for me. It gave me more energy and the best part about it all was that the increased energy I was feeling motivated me even more to the point where I was going twice a day morning and late at night.I could care less what the scale said, the fact of the matter was that I felt great and I found that I didn't need that occasional 3 hour nap. Unfortunately, now that I'm back at school I haven't been exercising at all. So I guess I've gotten out of the habit. And once I've gotten out of the habit its sometimes hard for me to get motivated once again. I think part of the reason I was going to the gym twice a day was partly because of my mother and younger sister, Natalie. We would all go at night, and it was fun and we usually stayed for about an hour. Whereas when I went in the morning by myself I could hardly stay motivated for twenty minutes. There is something about exercise that when you have a partner "I" at least tend to stay more motivated. But when no one's saying, "hey Ashley, want to go to the gym?" It's so much easier to skip going to the gym altogether and instead reach for the Ben & Jerry's. Some people I have found to be quite the opposite when it comes to having an exercise partner. Take for instance my friend RaeAnn. We've been friends since elementary and one day we were having this conversation about our motivation levels when it comes to exercise and RaeAnn was the total opposite when it came to having an exercising partner. she said that when she goes to the gym with a friend she will just goof around for 45 minutes and not do anything productive, she also said that if she was serious about losing 30 pounds she would have to get a personal trainer because if not she would pay for her gym membership and then never go. But if she was paying for a personal trainer's time and setting up a time to meet with that personal trainer she would feel less likely to back out or make excuses not to go, knowing that she's already paid this personal trainer in advance. It's really interesting hearing about everyone's view on exercise and what works for one person but not the next. This topic is especially worth listening to since this is the time of year when everyone is 'supposedly' on a diet of some kind.
My results were: You're so vain…which can be a good thing! Body pride pushes you. Body pride pushes you.
Funny story . . . I’m a guy, and I’ve basically had the same body since 8th grade. Although I’ve recently added glasses to my visage, I still look pretty young. So, last July I decided to do something about it. My summer job was doing yard work for a couple that has fourteen acres of land. In addition to that, I decided that I was going to follow this workout program called P90X (great program – I heavily recommend it). Long story short, I’ve made two previous attempts at the program but have been interrupted both times (and ignored the diet portion, too).
That all changed New Year’s Day. I realized I had not made a resolution, so I decided to follow this program to the letter and finally get the results I have been wanting. My two attempts before now have given me some definite improvements. I have already dropped about three percent body fat, and I have muscles is all sorts of new places. However, I have a long way to go.
One definite way to keep myself motivated is to look in the mirror after every workout (I workout everyday). Seeing the constant improvements is a great feeling. Also, I love carbohydrates, but I’m only allowed one serving this first thirty days. So I tend to use the mirror as a reward for passing them up.
I would like to point out that I am taking measures not to become a narcissist / overly vain. There’s nothing wrong with appreciating the hard work that I am doing nor the nice body that I will have, but I don’t want to be standing in front of a mirror falling in love with myself, either.
I took the quiz and got "inspired by the future". This was about right for me. I eat pretty healthy and try to keep a steady routine. OF course there are times that you cant always eat healthy and there are times that you don't always need to eat healthy; but if you stick to a plan then you can afford those slip ups.
I'm a senior now and this is my last semester here at UNI yet it is my first time having a demanding job. I found that it was a little harder to keep up with going to the WRC on a regular basis at first. I noticed that my sleep patterns were off and the quality of sleep I was getting delcined. Therefore, I made an attempt to wake up earlier or stay up later if I had to in order to get a workout in.
Working out and eating healthy really helps with managing stress. For the first couple semester here at UNI I would make it a point not to work out during finals week due to the increased demand for study time. However, I quickly learned that if I kept my work out rountine up during fnals week it helped with the amount of stress and quality of studying I was able to get down.
I figure the behavior that I practice now with follow me into the future.
I took the motivation quiz and my motivational behavior was "inspired by the future" which I would agree with. I don't kick myself in the butt if i miss a work out, but I do feel better throughout the week if I do keep a steady work out regimen.
I did grow up being very active. MY parents would always take my brother and I to the local gym to just play basketball or go swimming. So they really instilled that being active is important and keeping myself healthy, but yet its not my life, just doing things that i enjoy doing and keep my health in check.
I do like eating healthy as well. But I don't mind endulging once and a while. But I do like having fresh and healthy food in the cupboards and fridge.
Although some of the questions I wouldn't have answered any of the options, just chose the one that I guess would best suit me if I was in the place, but the results showed to be pretty accurate.
I also took the quiz and found out i'm "Inspired by the Future". This quiz states I moderatly follow a plan to lead a healthy life, but I do not always follow my plan. The quiz results say I lack knowing what will constantly motivate me. I was not surprised by this result.
I attempt to eat healthy and exercise about every other day because I know it will make me healthier in the long run. However, while I don't always follow my plan to work out every other day, I do not get upset with myself and work out for an extra 2 hours. I enjoy working out and eating healthier foods now because it's a great stress reliever and I feel more happy and healthy.
For example, in high school I was involved in multiple sports and was required to work out and stay fit in order to keep the position I had earned. I didn't realize the health benefits I was receiving by staying active. I just looked at exercise as a requirement to my day. However, when I got to college and wasn't required to hit the gym everyday, I lost the focus and the drive to go to the WRC. At the end of my first semester in college, I felt unhealthy and irritable. I realized exercise helps me keep my sanity and allows me to stay fit and healthy.
Another reason I am inspired to work out and stay healthy is because of my family history. Multiple people on my mom and dad's side have diabetes. I am motivated to stay healthy in order to avoid dealing with that disease. I feel as long as I stay moderatly fit and eat somewhat healthy, I will be able to avoid dealing with diabetes. Overall, I know that staying fit and healthy will help me lead a healthier life with less physical problems. Hopefully, I will be able to stick with my workout routine in order to stay healthy.