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Motivation Quality

Just getting started? Check out Part 1 first.

We often think about fitness motivation in terms of quantity. We complain when we have little or no motivation to workout, and want to get more. However, it’s also important that we focus on the quality of what motivates you.

Positive Motivation Beats Negative

When Leonardo DiCaprio’s team of dream-thieves discuss how they can plant an idea in someone’s mind without them rejecting it instantly, Leo tells them: “positive emotion trumps negative emotion every time.” They then spend the rest of the film convincing a man that destroying his father’s company – and his own inherited fortune – will make him happier.

This has a lot in common with the fitness journeys I see on a daily basis. You may not be tearing up the family business when you set your fitness goals, but you are passing up the chance to binge-watch the latest true-crime doc, or have an extra hour in bed. How on earth are you going to do this if you don’t have a positive emotion driving you forward?

It’s no secret the fitness industry can be full of negativity, such as:

• Body shaming;
• Diet culture;
• Toxic masculinity;
• Insecurity;
• Compulsive behaviours.

Unfortunately, there’s very little support in navigating this minefield, and very little regulation to control the messages that brands and individuals spread online.

This can saddle you with a lot of negative influences on your behaviour, meaning that when you do summon up the motivation to workout, it’s often built on weak foundations. These unhealthy pressures can even disguise themselves as the promise of a positive payoff later on:

However, these negative motivators all revolve around the same basic concept: that you are not OK as you are, and must make drastic changes in order to accept yourself and be happy. Using these ideas as a launchpad to get fit is like trying to dig your way out of a hole. Chances are you’ll either:

1. Be completely demoralised by these idealistic standards;
2. Stay committed but take extreme, risky steps to get there;
3. Achieve the result you were aiming for only to realise it didn’t bring you happiness – just hunger and exhaustion.

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Tough Love is No Love At All

“If we have come to the conclusion that we are worthless and unacceptable, it is more than likely that we shall behave in a way that demonstrates the validity of this judgement.”

Dr. Emilia Thompson RNutr

Training because you’ve been told to hate your body is about as motivating as working because you’re buried in debt. You’ll go along with the pressure, but there’s no guarantee you’ll enjoy it, or do your best.

If your motivation to change is driven by negative pressures in your environment, then it will most likely have a detrimental effect on your ability to stick to those changes. Consider this post by Ben Carpenter:

His post (of which this infographic is only one slide) showcases studies in which weight stigma seems to negatively affect people’s weight loss habits. This is presumably the opposite outcome that anyone promoting weight stigma is hoping for. 

Concepts like self-love and acceptance are often framed by critics as nothing more than a refusal to change. But a healthy source of motivation isn’t just a nice thing to have – it’s a crucial part of your success and wellbeing. Reaffirming your self-worth is as crucial a step in your fitness regime as drinking a protein shake or stretching. You owe it to yourself.

It’s important to be aware of the pressures placed on you by some fitness brands and personalities – and your wider social circle. It’s important to be able to confront them, deconstruct them, and replace them with something better. I strongly doubt any of us will ever be immune to the influence of the society we live in, but we owe it to ourselves to scrutinise it whenever we can. It’s easier said than done, but if you can deconstruct the BS that tells you you’re not good enough, you can find a positive driving force that will sustain your efforts.

Tasks to Improve the Source of Your Fitness Motivation

Task 1: Body Neutrality

I found this post on body neutrality really useful. I think this is a great exercise, and one you should try to help change your source of motivation. These quotes come from @beyondbeautifulbook. I have not read it but if the rest of it is anything like this then it’s definitely worth reading.

Use these mantras daily, or tweak them to your specific situation and goals.

Task 2: Filter Your Social Media

Scrutinise your social media feeds.

Who is presenting you with an over-idealised, unrealistic idea of what fitness can represent?

Who is promoting extreme behaviours such as juice cleanses, or promising rapid results such as 12-week transformations?

What do these people stand to gain by promoting these behaviours? Are they selling a product, or promoting a brand?

How do you feel after looking at this post? Is it worth feeling that way whenever you check your phone?

Answering these questions will soon give you an idea of who you need to unfollow.

Task 3: Reframe Your Goals

By refusing to be pressured by those negative sources of motivation, we can steer our training towards something other than getting results at any cost. Put enjoyment at the forefront of your fitness pursuits, instead of wondering what is going to burn the most calories or tone a certain muscle.

You may need a pick a different goal. I find that objective goals – such as lifting a certain amount of weight, or completing a hike or a run – can help steer people away from the fixation on image that often accompanies more negative sources of motivation. That’s why I try to persuade people to take on strength training. Once you’ve thought long and hard about why you want to change and whether it’s the right course for you to take, it’s time to examine how success or failure on your fitness journey impacts your sense of identity.

We’ll be covering this in part 3.

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