A Meaningful Approach To Exercise Motivation
It seems too good to be true.
Which is a shame, because sometimes the most profound truths are the simplest.
And I can "hear" your eyes rolling, but stay with me for a second.
When you include a practice of applying meaning to your movement endeavors, you are more likely to not only move your body more regularly, but also push the limits of the length & intensity of your sessions.
Meaning + Movement = Progress
This finding has changed the way I do EVERYTHING. It’s present in my classes, my daily habits and overall health-based endeavors. AND it’s a central part of my work in JZ Studio & JZ Movement Clinics.
While there are many studies on this subject, I've broken down one that had a strong influence on this direction of my work:
In a study titled “Daily Meaning Salience and Physical Activity in Previously Inactive Exercise Initiates”, researchers examined a group of 80 participants over 4 weeks who were previously inactive (engaging in >60 min of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week) for the last 3 months.
Throughout the study, all participants were asked to monitor their exercise frequency and duration, however a random selection of participants were asked to self-monitor more qualitative aspects like meaning salience (whether or not they were aware of meaning and purpose in their life on that particular day as opposed to their life as a whole) mood, and physical activity. They were asked questions like “How meaningful does your life feel today?” or rate a sentence for the day like “My life has a clear sense of purpose.” on a MILQ-Presence subscale.
Daily awareness of personal Meaning/Purpose showed up as a stronger predictor of day-today variability in behavior. When individuals live with daily awareness of what makes their lives meaningful and gives them purpose, they may be better able to make routine choices that support that meaning or purpose.
For example, adults are frequently faced with choices that can either be healthy, and likely more effortful (e.g., engaging in exercise), or hedonically pleasurable (e.g., watching TV). Individuals with lower levels of meaning salience may be more likely to make the easier choice (i.e., watching TV). Choosing the more difficult behavior that is congruent with one’s personal values, goals, and purpose is more likely when one is aware, in the moment, of those values, goals, and purposes. Those who, at least initially when establishing a new behavior, consciously associate engaging in healthy behaviors, such as physical activity, with what gives their lives M/P, and therefore why they desire to be more physically active, may be more likely to engage in physical activity on a daily basis. Thus, meaning salience can be motivational and contribute to self-regulation of healthy behavior.
There are many additional studies surrounding meaning and purpose that point to long-term benefits of intrinsic (internal & personal) motivating factors, positive habit building, varying exercise intensity for stages of life and long-term adherence to supportive health behaviors.
We’ve grown up in a culture of health and wellness that viewed external gains as a high indicator of health in an individual’s life. From disordered eating and exercising, fatphobia and the churning institution that is the 4.5 trillion dollar wellness industry, we’ve got some unlearning to do.
In my opinion, when we insert a focus on meaning & purpose in our well-being endeavors, like movement, we create a new narrative that can cut through the toxic message and get back to what matters to US in this one wild and precious life.
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