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Anyone who cancels their fitness subscription after three weeks is not simply suffering from a lack of will. New findings show that positive emotions during sport are what matter. And they have nothing to do with the will.
Jog? Too monotonous. To swim? Too wet. Boxing? Too aggressive. No matter how much you would wish it were different, as soon as you go through various sports in your mind’s eye, does a grumbling feeling spread in your stomach? No matter how hard you try, you just can’t bring yourself to “spörteln”?
This could have something to do with your past: “Negative experiences you had in school sports as a child can influence your sport for a long time,” says Julia Schmid. The sports scientist researches motivation and well-being in sport at the University of Bern. For them it is clear: a rethink is required if more people are to be encouraged to exercise.
Also in sports: the emotional backpack
According to Schmid, over the past 30 years, sports psychology has been based on a rational view of humanity. Cognitive factors such as weighing up advantages and disadvantages were considered to have the greatest influence on our motivation.
However, that is not everything. “In addition to physical requirements, every person also brings an emotional backpack,” says the expert.
Why is sport a miracle cure for the psyche?
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Exercise improves sleep, reduces the risk of burnout, anxiety disorders, depression and even dementia. The effects on the psyche are so far-reaching, that sport is increasingly being used as a form of therapy.
Sport has a direct impact on the brain. Exercise releases neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and cannabinoids. The latter are cannabis-like, endogenous substances. They provide feelings of happiness. At the same time, stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are reduced, which leads to relaxation.
Finally, the movement of our body also promotes the networking of brain cells. Sport actually protects our brain.
This is far more important than previously assumed. If negative emotions are triggered due to past experiences, they can be decisive for continuing the sporting activity. If you want to start training again, it is important to keep an eye on your well-being during the activity.
What are you longing for?
It’s not just individual experiences that influence our motivation to do sport, but also different motivations.
Julia Schmid from the University of Bern has examined these motives in detail. She developed one together with her team Online test that can be used to identify different types of sports.
Sports seekers deal with various questions about their motives and goals in relation to sports. Does a person play sports for health? Because of the figure, as a distraction from everyday life, because of social interaction or because of the desire to compete? Different sports fit these motivations.
The magic word is “while”
If your personal motives ultimately match the sporting activity, positive emotions are more likely to be triggered. When observing these emotions, particular attention should be paid to the timing, says Julia Schmid: “Almost everyone feels good after finishing a sporting activity. However, there are big differences when it comes to feeling during the activity.
The good feeling after exercise often comes from the fact that we are happy to have accomplished something. Not only the feeling after sport, but also the feeling during sport influence our motivation. It is these emotions that continually rekindle our desire for sport. So it’s worth listening to yourself again and again during the activity.
More tips to stay tuned
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Legend: srf
Markus Gerber is also a sports scientist. At the University of Basel, he is researching, among other things, how to motivate people to do sports. His most important tips:
Tip 1: Find inner motivation
People don’t exercise regularly if the motivation comes from outside. This is what research by Markus Gerber shows: “Start exercising because a family member or the doctor recommended it – that doesn’t last long unless you are aware of your inner motivations.”
Tip 2: Suitability for everyday use
It is important to take everyday life seriously as a guideline for choosing a sport, rather than adapting it to the sport.
Tip 3: Just try it out
Exchange ideas about sports with friends. And above all: give every sport at least a chance.
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If the sporting activity ultimately matches a person’s experiences and motivations, well-being is increased during and after the activity and lo and behold – we’re sticking with it!
2024-03-16 05:52:53
#Fun #counts #willpower #motivation #sport #finally #stick
