FitFeud Corporate Wellness Blog

Once again, it's all about motivation

Last week, quite a few people sent me a link to a Wall Street Journal article titled, The Power of a Gentle Nudge. It tells the story of a woman, and a study, that found telephone reminders were effective in getting people to keep with their fitness regimen. In fact, the people in the year-long study were exercising 78% more at the end of the study than at the beginning! Even better, the researchers checked in after another six months, during which time the people were not receiving the reminders, and found that their exercise habits were still at the higher end-of-study levels. 

All that's great news, but it simply backs up what we at FitFeud have been saying for a long time. The key missing ingredient in most fitness efforts is motivation. Too often people think a new piece of home-gym equipment, or a new exercise DVD, or even an expensive gym membership is what they need to finally reach their goals. Especially at the beginning, when you are trying to develop new habits and make changes in your behavior, it's most important that you focus on how to stay motivated rather than focusing on the exact methods you use to get in shape.

Even more important is that you can't rely on yourself as the single source of motivation. It has to come from someone or something else. As the article points out, even the most devoted have a hard time keeping at it themselves. You must employ outside tools and techniques to force yourself to keep going. 

So, whether it's a phone call from a friend, a running or swimming group, or even a friendly weight loss competition (hint hint), do things that keep your motivation level up, and the rest will take care of itself.

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