Why physical activity fuels your drive
There are many good reasons to exercise, but you don’t often hear people say “I exercise to feel more motivated”.
If anything, it’s more common to hear people bemoan their lack of motivation to exercise and how hard it can be to find the drive to lace up their running shoes.
But if you can get over that initial hurdle of getting started, research says that moving your body can actually fuel longer term motivation. Movement increases blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the brain, which leads to motivation-boosting outcomes like sharper thinking, steadier moods, and more resilience when you hit a wall. Exercise also sparks the release of dopamine and endorphins, chemicals tied to reward and motivation. Moving can set a positive cycle in motion, where the more you move, the more you’ll want to move.
If you struggle with finding an initial dose of motivation, it can help to remember that you don’t need to hit the gym to enjoy the benefits of exercise. In fact, it’s better to find ways to move that you naturally enjoy — be that dancing, walking, stretching — than to try to force yourself to work out in a way that you actively dislike.
Remember, it’s all about creating positive associations to sustain motivation. Start small, build gently and let movement become something that drives you, instead of something you ‘should’ do. Your motivation isn’t waiting for you on the couch — it’s waiting for you in motion.