Fitness Tip of the Day #9

FITNESS TIP OF THE DAY:

Have a positive attitude towards exercise and your workouts.

For many of us, especially those of us who need help sticking to a workout program, having a positive attitude about exercise and having a “no holds barred” approach isn’t something that comes naturally.

An attitude is a “learned tendency to evaluate things in a certain way”.  It can evaluate people, issues, objects, or events and they are either positive or negative (and sometimes indifferent).  When it comes to exercise and fitness, you can choose to have a positive attitude or a negative one.  It’s entirely up to you.

Attitudes form directly as a result of experience. They may emerge due to direct personal experience, or they may result from observation. In addition, social roles and social norms can have a strong influence on attitudes.  This is the reason why people who spend a lot of time in the gym (where doing exercise is expected) tend to have a more positive attitude about fitness versus those who visit less frequently.

To develop a positive attitude about fitness, it’s important to associate your exercise efforts with things that are positive and reassuring.  Consider doing the following:

• Exercise in an environment that is appealing (i.e. colorful, energetic, conveniently located)
• Do exercises that you enjoy doing (i.e. group classes that are fun, exercises that are getting results)
• Objectively measure results to see positive changes in your body that you may not notice on your own (i.e. girth measurements, photos)
• Exercise with other people who are supportive (i.e. workout partner, group fitness class, group personal training)

People who enjoy their workouts are typically more confident and more assertive in the gym.  They also tend to get more out of each workout because they want to put more effort into their exercise.  Simply going through the motions and dreading each moment on the gym floor only serves to defeat the whole purpose of working out.

Just as easily as negative attitudes are formed about exercise … these attitudes can change to become more positive and helpful in your mission to achieve your fitness and health goals.  All it takes is time and the right combination of experiences to change how you feel about fitness and exercise.