Choosing an Exercise Program that's Right for YOU

Sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated.  You tell yourself to "Stay Positive!"  But that's when your bed screams and the cupcakes crawl out, and in your mind it's always raining a slow and endless drizzle.

But that's not the way it is supposed to be, right?  We are supposed to be happy!  Well one way to induce happiness is to....you guessed it!  Exercise!  When you exercise, your body releases its natural pain killers, called endorphins, that relieve stress and lighten your mood.  And that's perfectly fine and everything, but what if you can't even find the motivation to get moving?  Maybe it's because you need to fine-tune your work out regiment to serve your own needs.

Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory states that the nature of thoughts, whether positive or negative, that people have when thinking about future behavior has an immense influence on motivated behavior.  Basically, if you think positively about exercise, like how you will feel after you exercise, this little optimism will specifically, positively affect your thoughts during your exercise.  In turn, you will have so many endorphins running through your brain that you will start to think more positively more often.  This little move towards an optimistic mindset is all you need to get started.  But where do you begin?

A study performed at the University of Saskatchewan by Karen E. Glazebrook and Lawrence R. Brawley found that long-term exercise programs are necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and the best way to maintain your long-term program is to evaluate your mindset and determine what sort of program is right for you.  Study participants were evaluated based on a thought analysis to determine whether the participants were positive or negative thinkers, and then encouraged to engage in regular physical activity known as "program activity."  According to the study, "positive thinkers were higher in self-regulatory efficacy (the ability to independently choose the action that yields the most desirable outcome) and lower in decisional struggle about engaging in upcoming exercise."  The positive thinkers involved in this study participated in the greatest frequency of in-program and out-of-program activities.  In short, the study suggested that negative thinkers are less likely to participate in physical activity outside of a structured program setting.

Evaluate yourself--are you a positive thinker?  Then maybe an independent program with just a few personal training sessions are all you need to get you started living a healthier lifestyle.  Is it always raining a slow and endless drizzle inside your head?  Maybe you should look into classes or group training and a more strict and structured work-out regiment.

Either way, motivation has to start from within you.  So what are you waiting for?  Call HealthQuest today, toll free, at 1-855-477-8463 to get enrolled in our Medical Fitness program!