Motivation to exercise

Sheila Hautbois, PA-C, is a physician assistant with a master’s in public health who is also a certified health education specialist and a certified lifestyle educator. A lifestyle medicine specialist, Hautbois provides personalized health coaching and patient education with the goal of preventing, treating and reversing chronic disease.

Hautbois is part of the Inova 360° Concierge Medicine team, offering a high-level, personal service approach to healthcare with a focus on better total health. 

It’s a new year, which is a good time for a new start or a reassessment of exercise goals. How do we get motivated and then stay motivated to do regular exercise?

Determine your why

Why is exercise something you want to do? To keep up with your kids or grandkids? To maintain strength, balance and mobility as you age? To learn a new sport or social physical activity like pickleball? To reduce risk of chronic diseases, especially if they run in your family?

Everyone has personal reasons for wanting to improve fitness, and one reason is not better than another. Write your why down and review it weekly.

Schedule it

Exercise is as important as other appointments. Take away the option to skip it by setting aside time for it on your weekly calendar.

Plan rewards

Let yourself “earn” new exercise shoes or shorts, screen time or something else you enjoy. Do not use food as a reward. That strategy can backfire by detracting from the benefits of physical activity and creating an unhealthy relationship with food.

Log minutes

Keep track of total exercise each week in a way that works for you. Apps, fitness journals or a calendar can be used to track time spent exercising. Setting a goal of a certain number of minutes per week can be more helpful than aiming to exercise a specific number of days per week. Tracking minutes still allows you to complete the goal, even if you did no exercise during the first part of the week.

Self-reflect

Replace any negativity with affirmations. For example, replace “I have huge thighs” with “I have strong legs that help me in cycle class.” Improved body image will increase confidence.

Review goals

Whether it’s feeling more comfortable in clothes, maintaining weight loss, increasing strength, improving mood or boosting fitness, it’s important to review how exercise is helping you reach your personal goals. Doing this monthly will help you stay focused on healthy behavior change and ensure you are progressing toward those goals.

If you are not seeing obvious improvement in fitness with exercise, consider making an appointment with an Inova personal trainer or another qualified fitness professional who can review and adjust your exercise program.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can benefit from a personalized approach to your health, contact Inova 360 Concierge Medicine.