To understand why exercise intentions so often fail to become lasting habits, we spoke to Dr Ian Taylor, a Reader in Motivation Science at Loughborough University, about how motivation really works, why willpower is overrated, and what people can do to stay active long after the excitement of major sporting events has passed.

Why you struggle to stay motivated to exercise

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Explaining how motivation works in your mind and the misconceptions people have around feeling motivated, Dr Taylor said:

“Motivation is the psychological processes in the brain that lead you to act or not act on something. It’s an umbrella term for lots of different processes that are all simultaneously working inside your brain.

“One part of your brain might be telling you, ‘I really should do exercise because I know it's good for me’. Equally there will be other parts that are motivating you to sit on the sofa because it's really comfy and makes you less tired. And it's essentially a cost/benefit analysis - whichever wins, motivates you to either do or not do exercise.

“The biggest misconception about motivation is that if you intend to do something, you think you are motivated. Motivation drives behaviour, it doesn't drive intentions. If you intend to exercise, but you don't carry out that exercise, then you're potentially accessing the wrong types of motivation and need to make a change.”

How to build an exercise habit that actually lasts

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Dr Taylor also shared the small steps you can take to make your commitment to exercise last long-term.

“There are lots of little strategies that you can use to help you to persist with exercise. Aim for small goals and keep it pleasant, so that the right brain processes are activated to remember that pleasantness and you're more likely to do it again.

“I’d also recommend trying to go earlier in the day, as there are different types of fatigue that can increase and reduce the likelihood that you're going to do it. Once you've developed routines and you're beginning to enjoy and value exercise, that's when you can expand your routine.”

Staying motivated after setbacks

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Discussing negative impacts on your motivation like setbacks, Dr Taylor explains the important role your mindset can have on your motivation.

“Everyone from athletes to recreational exercisers will experience setbacks, but how you deal with them is all about your attitude and perspective.

“If a loss in a competition shatters your ego and self-esteem, then obviously that's going to have negative implications for your motivation. But if you take a loss or a setback as a learning opportunity or you attribute the loss to something that you can work on, then you are more likely to overcome it, and it’s the same with exercise in the general population.”

Why elite athletes don’t rely on willpower

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Dr Taylor went on to explain why finding something you really enjoy is essential to keeping your motivation levels high, and why you need to keep away from your willpower as much as possible.

“Motivational processes are the same across all people - it's what triggers those motivational processes that differs.

“You can learn from looking at athletes and understanding what motivates them. Athletes are generally motivated because it's part of their sense of self and identity – these are resilient, robust processes. We need to copy that with whatever goal we have.

“For example, a motivational process such as willpower should be seen as an emergency resource. If you're relying on willpower every day to achieve a simple exercise goal, then you've probably built the wrong exercise routine. Find something you really value and enjoy."

ENDS

For further comments or interview requests with Dr Ian Taylor, please contact the PR team or call 01509 222224.

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