Getting Physical- How to Stick with Your Exercise Program, by Art Turock, 1988: Art has a master’s degree from U. of Florida in counseling psychology. He has many great ideas on how to get the right mindset for starting and sustaining an exercise program. He has quotes helpful to inspire commitment to working out, such as “When you value fitness enough, there are no difficulties that can’t be overcome.” He suggests writing a credo that will inspire purpose for your fitness commitment like “losing excess weight is my ticket to freedom”. That person had been self conscious about their weight which caused them to be awkward and ill at ease around people, resulting in an effort not to be noticed in their social and business life. Art lists excuses or easy way out traps, and ways to dispute those traps. For example, “I can’t find the time”, as an excuse is resolved with “make exercise a priority and time is available.” And “not finding the time means deciding to let my body get out of shape”. Further, the easy way out trap of saying “exercise is boring”, is disputed with “It’s inevitable to be bored at times. Who says I need to enjoy every moment or I shouldn’t bother doing it? I could be looking for ways to make it more fun instead of complaining”. Art writes that the main reason people give for not exercising is interference from other priorities. He counters with “exercising if circumstances permit, simply doesn’t work”. “Be willing to take an honest look at how you (and not life’s circumstances) stop yourself from exercising regularly. Prove you can exercise even when you don’t feel like it.” Commitment according to Art has four components: 1. Actions based on what works, 2. Goals stated as firm promises and revised periodically, 3. Being unreasonable with reasons for not exercising, 4. Recognition that poor results in the past have no bearing on current performance. A great book for exercise motivation.
Enhancing Exercise Motivation – A Guide to Increasing Fitness Center Member Retention, Dr. James J. Annesi, 1996: Dr. Annesi is an exercise and sport psychology consultant, researcher and instructor. At the time of his book he was associated with Rutgers U. Dr. Annesi developed the Member Adherence Program (MAP) that includes a) client motivational assessment, b) goal setting, c) exercise prescription development, d) contracting, e) progress monitoring, f) enhancing motivation techniques, g) repairing motivation techniques. In assessing a client Annesi used the Self Motivation Inventory (SMI) (Dishman & Ickes, 1981). Self motivation – “A general orientation to set goals and commit one’s efforts to attaining them” (Dishman & Ickes, 1981, p. 431). If they score low on the SMI and are also overweight then the possibility of clients dropping out early is increased, which tells the staff their clients may need special attention in setting an exercise prescription that is not too vigorous, monitoring feelings during exercise and afterward, and contracts. Contracts can be as simple as dollar rewards for each week successfully completed. Annesi also recommended clients fill out the Balanced Decision Making assessment of a physically active lifestyle advocated by Wankel & Thompson (1977). This is designed theoretically to motivate exercisers with questions such as, gains to self, losses to self, gains to important others, losses to important others, approval from others, disapproval from others, self approval, self disapproval. Enhancing motivation would include relapse prevention, to alter clients perception of total failure and withdrawal from exercise when they miss a few exercise sessions. For example, vacation might be a time to not exercise, but it can also be a time to experience new running routes in a different location. To avoid stopping exercise altogether clients learn to plan for inevitable missed sessions, have flexible maintenance rules, and improve ability to cope with times when exercise is believed not possible. Other motivation enhancers would be group support, recognition, variety of different activities, and enjoyment. Repairing motivation consists of positive self talk and reinforcement, imagery, dissociation, and learning to relax with physical effort.
Fitness Motivation – Preventing Participant Dropout, Dr. Jack Rejeski & Elizabeth Kenney, MA, 1989: Both the authors are involved in cardiac rehabilitation. Dr. Rejeski was a professor at Wake Forest University at the printing of this book, teaching courses in health and exercise psychology. Ms. Kenney joined the Appalachian State U. staff in 1987 as director of the adult fitness program. This book covers in detail almost every scenario possible in effective goal setting, when to give feedback, how to tailor individual programs. For example, in setting goals for fitness there are outcome goals and process-oriented goals. An outcome goal could be losing 20 lbs. in 9 months with intermediate goals of 7 to 15 lbs. loses at the 3 & 6 month marks. Process goals are the daily and weekly attendance and workout plans, such as 30 minutes of aerobic activity at target heart rate 3 times a week, along with full body weight lifting program twice a week. Outcome goals not met on time would call for reassessment of both outcome and process goals. Rejeski and Kenney’s attention to detail is evident in letting clients know that on occasion weight loss many not be as much as hoped for because fat lost is replaced with lean muscle tissue. A better indication of progress would be change in percent body fat. The authors mention social influence and how positive reactions to a client’s fitness efforts help sustain their motivation. In other words, encouragement and recognition from spouses and friends may enhance long term exercise adherence. On the other hand, some sections of our population have little interest in the concept of wellness and fitness. The authors mentioned a colleague who was put in charge of the fitness program at a lumber mill. As a group they had not been influenced by the fitness craze, thus were not excited by the fitness program. One of the solutions to non-interest was showing the consequences of not exercising as we age – increased chances of unhealthy conditions, such as heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis, etc.. The authors recommend making exercise as fun as possible in a social way, such as establishing teams to compete for monthly running or cycling mileage. Overall a great book for exercise motivation.
Motivating People to Be Physically Active, Bess Marcus, PhD & LeighAnn Forsyth PhD, 2003: At the printing of this book Dr. Marcus was professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the Brown University Medical School. And Dr. Forsyth was assistant professor of psychology at Cleveland State U. where she conducted research on physical activity promotion and weight management. The authors focus on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) (mentioned in the post on integrated theories) as a framework in motivating change in physical activity habits, and in examining the barriers to change, the benefits of change, and for specific strategies and techniques for promoting change. In relation to TTM the five stages of readiness for physical activity are 1. Inactive and not thinking about becoming more active, 2. Inactive and thinking about becoming more active, 3. Doing some physical activity, 4. Doing enough physical activity, 5. Making physical activity a habit. The authors utilize their test for motivational readiness to determine what stage a client is in. Then they match treatment strategies or processes of change to the client’s stage of readiness. Processes of change are cognitive and behavioral. Cognitive processes involve thinking, attitudes and awareness, such as increasing knowledge. Behavioral processes involve actions, like committing yourself and enlisting social support. Stage matched intervention for clients in stages 1 & 2 might focus on cognitive processes such as health benefits, and pros and cons of being active. While clients in stages 3,4, & 5 would likely use more of the behavioral strategies like reminding about a workout time and rewarding yourself for completing it. Change strategies from the authors come from theories of learning, decision making, behavioral choice, social cognitive, and the ecological and relapse prevention models. The authors produced 5 motivational manuals tailored to each stage of readiness that can be obtained by telephone or email, p.81. They also list the detailed motivational interventions for individual, community and workplace based programs promoting physical activity. Very enlightening and impressive book.
The Joy of Movement, Kelly McConigal, PhD, 2019: The author at the printing of the book was a research psychologist and lecturer at Stanford U., as well as an aerobics and yoga instructor. A blurb of praise on the book’s cover by Brad Stulberg, author of Peak Performance, describes this book in a nutshell – “Part scientific exploration, part inspirational story, part intimate love letter to physical activity, (the book) reveals how what many consider as just ‘exercise’ is actually so much more – a pathway to not only physical and mental health, but also love, connection, and community.” One of the more interesting ideas McConigal explored was research by David Raichlen about why primitive man was able to persist at the running hunt. Raichlen, then a professor at the U. of Arizona here in Tucson, suggested that early humans experienced the runner’s high while hunting. Thus, this enjoyable sensation enabled them to endure long running distances with some pleasure that helped them avoid starvation. The Joy of Movement has many positive aspects of exercise that together should motivate anyone unmotivated to workout. The author has one lament, in the US “the average adult engages in less than ten minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, and physical activity peaks at age six.” (p. 13)
The Little Black of Workout Motivation, Michael Matthews, 2018: Michael does not list his academic background or qualifications other than he has written several books on fitness, and he is in great shape, and trained others to be fit. As he states on his website (http://www.workoutmotivationbook.com) “This book is for people who have a burning desire to be, do and have more, and who could use some help with the how.” He has inspiring quotes from famous people, such as Napoleon Bonaparte, “death is nothing, but to live defeated is to die everyday.” (p. 75) Michael goes on to write, to be successful with fitness takes desperation, an unbeatable feeling, and an all in commitment where the only excuse for failure is a failure of will. He gives reading lists for inspiring books in motivation. For individuals who would like to lose fat and build muscle he suggests: “1. Make a proper meal plan, 2. Eat no fast food for a month, 3. Learn how to use portion control to your advantage, 4. Stop buying foods you tend to overeat, 5. Lift heavy weights a few times per week, 6. Do a few high-intensity interval cardio workouts per week, 7. Go for a long walk every morning”. (p. 70) Michael must be doing things right because he has built a million dollar fitness business, and has the positive recommendations from many fitness CEOs and authors.
The Ultimate Guide to Becoming Your Own Workout Motivation, J. Kelly, 2021: Kelly believes we can be our own workout motivators if we follow certain guidelines. First he quotes research that shows humans want to be busy, but avoid effort. In other words, humans are geared toward laziness. However, through discipline and commitment we have the ability to override our laziness biological programs. Kelly states that by repetitively disciplining ourselves to overcome weaknesses we will form positive habits for fitness. By setting long and short term goals, tracking progress, rewarding achievements, and having a growth mindset we can be victorious in our fitness quest. Through an internal locus of control that takes responsibility for our actions we can show ourselves we are someone worth taking care of. And with developing will power we become able to resist short-term temptations and focus on goals that keep us motivated for daily workouts. The author does not list his academic background or personal information about himself.
The Rise of Superman – Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance, Steven Kotler, 2014: Kotler is a best-selling author and award winning journalist. His articles have appeared in more than sixty publications, including the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, Wired, Forbes, and GQ. Although not intended strictly as an exercise motivation book, understanding the concept of flow and its importance to optimal states of performance can be inspiring. Flow as studied by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Flow, 1990) is defined as “being so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” (Kotler, 2014, p. 20-21) Initially, Csikszentmihalyi became interested in what made people happy in an Italian prison camp he was in (1945) when he was eleven years old. He realized how few of the grown ups in the camp had anything resembling a normal, contented satisfied life once their job, their home, and their security was destroyed. This motivated him to study what contributed to a life worth living. What activities produced their deepest enjoyment and greatest satisfaction. Csikszentmihalyi eventually became a professor at the U. of Chicago. Flow can occur in exercise such as the peak experience of the runner’s high mentioned in another post. And it can be experienced in many other instances such as in business, social situations with good conversation, looking at art, etc.. So in the arena of exercise motivation the activity itself, such as swimming, biking, lifting ideally eventually becomes its own reward, in other words the flow or enjoyment in the activity is intrinsically motivating. As noted by Kotler (2014, p. 85) “Psychologists describe flow as “autotelic”, from the Greek auto (self) and telos (goal). When something is autotelic – i.e., produces the flow high – it is its own reward. No one has to drag a surfer out of bed for overhead tubes. No one has to motivate a snowboarder on a powder day. These activities are intrinsically motivating, autotelic experiences done for their own sake. The high to end all highs.” Kotler outlines the components of flow, such as clear goals, and triggers such as skills equal to the challenge of the activity. Kotler mentions a Gallup survey that found 71 percent of American workers were not engaged or actively disengaged from their jobs. In other words, 2 out 3 of us hate what we do for a living that occupies most of our time. Yet, 29 percent of the workers have jobs they find engaging and apparently generate some flow. Kotler states, “Flow directly correlates to happiness at work and happiness at work directly correlates to success”, (p. ix) For all workers engaged or disengaged at work, flow is available in other endeavors, such as running, swimming, biking, etc. – the challenge of the fit lifestyle.
The Psychology of Exercise – Integrating Theory and Practice 4th Ed., C.L. Lox, K.A. Martin Ginis & S.J. Petruzzello, 2014: The authors are PhD. professors and researchers in Kinesiology and/or Exercise Psychology. The book is a text book that covers most everything that would possibly motivate the unmotivated fitness individual. They give the definition of exercise psychology, benefits of physical activity, theories and models of exercise behavior, physical activity interventions, and consequences of exercise on stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, etc.. Exercise psychology is mainly concerned with the application of psychological principles in the promotion and maintenance of leisure physical activity related to fitness. They discuss barriers to physical activity, such as convenience/availability, environmental/ecological factors, physical limitations, lack of time, and boredom/lack of enjoyment. To increase enjoyment some recommendations are outdoor activities, with moderate intensity, with music and exercising with family, coworkers, or friends. Four intervention approaches are 1. Informational – concerns benefits of physical activity, positive attitudes, and might include health education classes, and positive role models. 2. Behavioral – involves management skills, such as goal setting, self monitoring, contracts, and rewards. 3. Social approach might include socially supportive family members, group exercise, and possibly walking partners or personal trainer. 4. Environmental and policy approaches encourage more fitness facilities, such as walking and biking trails, and support for mandatory physical education, open school gyms and high school tracks. Fitness apps are suggested for logging your activity, motivation, and instruction. One of the current best apps is Nike Training Club. There are others available if you google fitness apps. Also, discussed is the relapse prevention model (mentioned above in book 2) that helps plan for occasional lapses in exercise to avoid permanent cessation of long term physical activity. Many good motivational ideas in this book, such as human beings are genetically designed to be physically active, and violation of this principle brings a host of health problems, including depression. And, “long term maintenance of an exercise program is generally associated with the presence of intrinsic motivation for exercise – exercising for pleasure and satisfaction – rather than with motives related to improving appearance.” (p. 222) For an individual unmotivated for physical activity this book will answer most all your reservations and barriers to a lifetime of physical activity.
Exercise Psychology, J.D. Willis & L. F. Campbell, 1992: Both authors are PhD’s. The purpose of the book is to provide fitness and exercise professionals theoretical information and practical suggestions to help in understanding why some people choose to exercise while others do not. Also, the exercise psychologist needs insite into why a large percentage of those who begin to exercise drop out within a short time. Most common motive for exercise is improved health and fitness. While the main reasons for not exercising include lack of time, fatigue, inadequate facilities, lack of knowledge about fitness, and lack of willpower. In order to overcome these reasons the exercise professional should help clients in developing time management skills, educate about benefits of exercise, provide alternatives to traditional group programs, and individually counsel clients in solving their adherence problems. For instance, rather than having a client focus on lack of willpower, the concept of self control should be promoted. Self control assumes a person has the ability to change behavior based on knowledge and control of situational factors, rather than excusing behavior to the general trait of lack of willpower. Some suggestions for promoting exercise adherence included clean, tastefully decored facility, social support, and opportunities that allow clients to tailor their own fitness workouts, thus leading to feelings of self determination and intrinsic motivation. With intrinsic motivation an individual theoretically engages in activities voluntarily for fun and challenge rather than for an extrinsic reward such as money or trophies. As noted in other comments, intrinsic motivation is believed to lead to long term exercise adherence. Further, the authors note that in relation to intensity of exercise there is a narrow margin between an intensity level sufficient to produce a training effect, and one so high that it results in cessation of exercise. Many good ideas for motivating the unmotivated exerciser in this book.
The Ten Hidden Barriers to Weight Loss & Exercise, 2003, by L. Menefee, Ph.D., and D. Somberg, Ph.D. At the time of the printing of this book Dr. Menefee was a licensed psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Her clinical practice was focused on helping individuals overcome difficulties with behavior change as it related to health and quality of life. And Dr. Somberg was an Assistant Professor at U. of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine, teaching cognitive behavioral therapy to psychiatric residents.
The first hidden barrier is are you ready for change? They discuss the stages of change model proposed by Prochaska and DiClemente (1983) mentioned previously in another post. Recall the stages of precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance – termination. Maintenance – termination the final stage, is when a new self image is developed and there is not temptation to return to the old behavior. In each chapter thought provoking questions are asked about how are you doing? Such as thinking about what it would take to change is overwhelming? Or, I am confident in my ability to permanently change my habits? They also recommend constructing a balance sheet listing the pros and cons of weight loss and exercise. They ask what would it be like if I didn’t change my behavior? Also, do you value your health enough that a healthy lifestyle is a daily priority?
The second hidden barrier is are your goal and game plan right for you? They state that it’s easy to neglect weight loss and exercise goals when you haven’t experienced negative consequences of poor health habits. Goals should fit in with your overall life plan, be reasonable, sustainable, well stated, and measurable. If you are getting off track your actions may not be matching your goals, your goals are not yours, you feel restricted by your goals, or you do too much at one time. If your goals are an attempt to satisfy someone else, for instance a spouse that wants you to lose weight, then the goals can make you feel resentment toward that person. Not meeting those goals may be a way of expressing your displeasure toward that person. Staying on track with goals might include a regular time each week to review your goals and owning them for yourself on your timetable, preferably with slow and steady progress.
The third hidden barrier may be hidden agendas keeping you from your goals. One hidden agenda is the need to be free of physical discomfort, which can be related to hunger and/or the negative sensations of exercise. Second is the need to get away from uncomfortable emotions, such as anxiety, loneliness, frustration, boredom and sadness. These can lead to impulsive snacking and exercise avoidance. Third is the need for autonomy. Input from others may bring on feelings of intrusion and threaten your freedom of choice. This may lead to eating in secrecy or less exercise. Fourth hidden agenda may be the need to avoid the risks of getting healthier. If you start to feel healthier, stronger, and more active, this can bring on the desire to join a recreation baskeball league, get a new job, and new friendships. A spouse may feel threatened by your new image. A fifth possibiliy is the need to escape feeling deprived. Resisting your favorite food and the extra time and effort needed for exercise may give you quick permission to indulge in a favorite treat, have a big meal, or postpone exercise. The thought pattern becomes “I deserve it” or “I gotta give myself a break sometime”. A sixth hidden agenda is the need to avoid conflict. Food is often prepared by others and eaten together. Exercise must be scheduled with consideration to family responsibilities. You may take seconds so you don’t risk offending the cook. Or you may postpone exercise to help a friend or spouse out. Others may not approve of your healthy habits, such as your new vegetarian diet and time spent exercising, which can lead to conflicts. To be more successful with your diet and exercise goals the authors recommend you identify your hidden agendas and catch them in action. Strategies for staying on track include learning to manage negative emotions, hidden agendas, and trying to understand them.
A fourth barrier to weight loss and exercise adherence can be the responsibility you accept for the choices you make. There will always be tempting alternatives, unexpected changes, and frequent challenges to sticking with your game plan. When you act as if you have no choice or responsibility, your goals are at the mercy of outside influences. Of course, there may be times when you find yourself too tired to exercise at your only free moment of the day at 9:30 pm after work and family activities have kept you busy. So sometimes circumstances may impede you goal commitment. To be successful in the long term with exercise and diet you should have a positive mind set of responsibility. Write down positive affirmations such as “I like knowing that I can rely on myself to follow what is really important to me”. Also it helps to recognize moments of choice during the day like stresses from work, feeling tired, watching your favorite TV show, or Monday night football rather than exercising. If you are getting off track these are common factors – 1. Not recognizing the moments of responsibility. Lift a few weights while watching football, rather than skipping the workout totally. 2. Feeling tired and tense should be viewed as a challenging situation that will require extra effort. 3. Blaming other people or circumstances for avoiding responsibility to your health and well being. 4. Developing a belief that you can control and determine what happens to you is critical to making lasting change. 5. If you have a negative view of responsibility as a chore, restriction on your freedom or part of work, no play adulthood – then it feels too bad to own. 6. Giving yourself a break by avoiding responsibility – you may believe is somehow being good to yourself. However, it will make you less effective, and in a place further from your goals. 7. If you take on too many commitments in other parts of your life it can effect your diet and exercise goals. You need to strike a balance between responsibility to others and yourself. Suggestions for staying on track – consider the following and apply what is relevant to your situation – A. You are responsible for your health and happiness. See yourself as in charge and monitor your choices with calm objectivity. B. Practice when it is hard. Be aware of choices after a long workday or a high stress day. C. Be a great coach, guide yourself to do what you may not feel like doing – self coaching with humor and lightness. D. Do yourself a favor – banishing a hidden barrier will have a positve impact on your self-esteem and confidence. For instance, have a few weights or elastic bands at home for workouts that don’t require time traveling to the gym. Your responsibility for your health goals can impact other areas of life at work, in relationships, and in other personal goals.
The fifth barrier to weight loss & exercise is your ability to keep focused on your goals when you feel distracted, aimless, lost direction, or don’t feel like following through with your plans.
A sixth barrier to sticking with your exercise and weight loss goals is a need to have instant gratification. Practicing patience is important in reaching your goals. Patience will allow you to pass up dessert with the feeling that you really don’t want it, or find being sedentary is increasingly unsatisfying. Pass up immediate gratification, such as a chocolate sundae, by weighing that action against your overall interests.
A seventh barrier to accomplishing your goals can be unruly emotions ruling your life. If you feel lonely or stressed this may lead to overeating and less exercise, The authors list a number of strategies to off set emotional responses, such as identifying the emotion by writing down your feelings when you overeat or skip exercise. Also, an emotional trigger plan can help identify high risk situations, and lead to strategies for handling those emotions.
The eigth barrier to diet and exercise goals is how you treat your mistakes. Research shows that those that are successful in reaching health goals go through a process of slipping back to their earlier habits before moving on again. You can expect to achieve your goals while making mistakes. Stop and learn from your mistakes and make adjustments like slowing down your timetable for goal attainment. Weight loss may be a pound a week, which is slow, but eventually adds up to 52 pounds in a year.
The 9th barrier is who’s supporting you, which includes yourself and others. Are you self critical or find it hard to praise yourself. You should be able to remain positive about chances of reaching your goals even when you make mistakes. Ideally family, friends and co-workers will give praise and compliments when you stick to your goal plan, and be understanding, encouraging when you get off track. If you are not progressing on schedule you may need advice on what to eat or how to exercise from a supportive dietitian and/or personal trainer. A spouse could be worried that if you lose weight, look better, feel better – this might make you more attractive to the opposite sex. You may need to talk openly about what your change in image means for them and reassure your commitment to them.
The 10th hidden barrier is knowing how to make good habits a part of your life in the long term. Keeping new habits means that you possess confident vigilance on when your vulnerabilities are likely to assert themselves. You learn from your mistakes and get right back on track. Your new habits become second nature. You accept that change is full of stops and starts. And think of yourself as someone who eats healthy moderate portions and values exercise enough to build it into their schedule.
This book covers almost every hidden barrier possible, and can be a great help to individuals that have a little motivation to change or adhere to a healthy lifestyle.