Photo by mentatdgtfrom PexelsMotivation for healthy activities may be challenging since we often choose the route of least resistance, especially when it comes to exercise. Too many people have the false belief that exercise must be painful in order to be beneficial, which often dissuades them from beginning in the first place.

However, very few people have ever regretted working out or even simply taking a quick stroll. Here is a quick method you may use to document the mood and energy changes your next exercise has given you. You can, in essence, condition your brain to expect the instant "reward" of exercise or physical activity if you utilize this technique for a few sessions in a row.

This is how you do it:

1. Utilize your smartphone's "Voice Memos" app.
2. Record a brief description of your current physical, mental, and/or emotional condition before working out.
3. After exercising, repeat step 2 right away.
4. Recordings from steps 2 and 3 should be played back consecutively. Both the impact of the words you employ and the tone, vigor, or passion in your voice will be apparent right away.

A few points:

1. Write down the before-and-after remarks on a sticky note or a calendar if you don't have a smartphone. Although you won't be able to hear your own tone of voice with this method, it still has the potential to be successful.

2. Even if you want to use the exact same terms in both sentences, this still works. I had had a customer who was dubious of this strategy and thought that just using more positive language would cause the tone to change. I advised him to use his "before" comment, "I feel sluggish," as his after statement as well. He was taken aback by how much more upbeat and optimistic his tone sounded in the "after" utterance.

No matter how minor, observe the impact this action has. Too often, individuals exercise because they "should," which reduces the perceived benefits of the healthy practice by taking away a lot of the fun that is typically associated with it. This method alters that.

Why It Functions

The motivation changes to a visible change in mood. After doing this a few times and listening to the recordings, you've effectively trained your brain to seek out the satisfaction of feeling better after working out or engaging in any other physical activity. You've established a behavioral cycle that teaches your brain how to improve mood and get significant benefits from a single workout attempt.

A single activity that makes you feel better psychologically or emotionally broadens your options and inspires optimism. Additionally, it aids in reframing exercise as a chance to improve mood as opposed to a motivating challenge.

It's important to note that this tactic may be used and is equally effective while exercising, whether it's walking or another kind of physical exercise. In general, incidental physical activity may not seem as intimidating or difficult to many individuals as exercise does, even if it may not be as intense. However, it may still provide a chance to use the here-introduced method to reframe any physical activity (including exercise) in a more positive light.

Select the Strength You Prefer

Don't stress out too much about how hard you workout if you're just starting out or do it now out of reluctance because you despise it. According to one research, respondents felt better about themselves when they chose their own degree of intensity rather than following a regimented moderate-effort routine. While some individuals enjoy low or moderate exercise intensities, others adore high intensity workouts. It is preferable to start exercising or becoming more physically active at an intensity you find most appealing since continued involvement will probably increase both your ability and desire to exercise at various intensity levels. If you exercise often enough to gain confidence and get the advantages of your first selected intensity for your health and fitness, you may end up practicing all intensities.

Select your own level of intensity rather than the one you "should" use.