What is motivation? How do we find it? Why do we need it? What happens when we cannot get motivated?! In this Coaches Corner our team dives into the topic of motivation and how to keep yourself moving in the right direction towards your personal health and fitness goals.
Motivation is important because it helps you solve problems, helps you change old habits and helps you cope with challenges and opportunities! Most people struggle with motivation…. In this article and subsequent team meetings and videos we help you get and stay motivated!
What do we mean by motivation?
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Defined: “Motivation is the word derived from the word 'motive' which means needs, desires, wants or drives within the individuals. It is the process of stimulating people to actions to accomplish the goals. In short, motivation causes you to act in a way that gets you closer to your goals.”
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We all have motivation that ebbs and flows.
Some mornings you wake up energized to get to work and power through the day... other days you smack the alarm clock, and give yourself and extra five minutes to go back to sleep.
But identifying the "why" behind the actions you perform can make finding teh motivation to do them easier on those days when you’re feeling less-than-inspired. Whether you’re dragging yourself to the gym or fighting the mental battle against procrastination at work, making a mental shift to reconnect to your source of motivation can give you the boost to get it done.
Three types of motivation
#1. EXTRINSIC (Outside Pressures); Chances are, many of the things you do each day are extrinsically motivated.
● “Extrinsic motivation is a construct that pertains whenever an activity is done in order to attain some separable outcome.”
● Like exercising to lose weight, cross a finish line or even learning to speak Italian to impress your friends.
● Extrinsic motivation is doing something for the external rewards you get from it; For example moving up the age group ranks in endurance sports, lifting more weight in the gym to prove your feats of physical strength, or eating healthy to live longer for your family.
● When you find your inspiration waning, re-focusing on external rewards is a quick way to recommit to a goal or activity, whether that be performing well at work or sticking to an exercise routine.
#2 INTRINSIC (Internal Pressures); The journal of Contemporary Educational Psychology defines intrinsic motivation as doing “an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence.
● Intrinsic motivation is doing something because it feels good to you. You feel internally rewarded for doing it. For example, our Tristar coaches feel happy and excited when our students, athletes and employees hit their goals.
● Hopefully you have a handful of actions you perform each day that fall under this bucket. Your job may not provide obvious sources of intrinsic motivation, but perhaps you head out for a run because you enjoy the experience of unplugging and pounding the pavement or help your neighbor carry their groceries up the stairs because you genuinely feel good doing it.
● Many people find it harder to identify sources of motivation in this bucket.
● There is some convincing evidence to encourage us all to identify our sources of intrinsic motivation, though. In a study of 14 years of data, researchers looked at the motivations and outcomes for more than 10,000 incoming cadets at West Point Military Academy. What they found was that cadets with primarily internal motives were about 20 percent more likely to make it through training than the average. (Plus, those with external motivations had a 10 percent lower chance of sticking with a military career and a 20 percent lower chance of being promoted early.)
#3 FAMILY (Group pressures); Finding intrinsic motivation isn’t always easy, especially for those of us who find working out hard or changing our nutrition difficult. Luckily, there is a way to compensate: Think about your family or team. This has emerged as a third source of motivation proven to be a strong source of inspiration — even for those who do not feel intrinsically or extrinsically motivated to do something.
● Those who identified with the statement “I care about supporting my family” felt more energized and performed better each day, even when they didn’t find the work enjoyable and had no financial incentive to perform it.
● Coming together as a team family at Tristar Athletes; we find our teams rise to the occasion to work hard towards their goals, find a shared experience in the process of self-improvement and work hard to aspire to the level of others on the team who show what consistency and goal dedication can accomplish.
● “Family motivation can relate to both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. If family is a top value of yours, then your family can serve as an intrinsic motivator. If you feel family pressure or obligations, then that's more of an extrinsic motivator
Specific motivations
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In sport, high motivation is widely accepted as an essential prerequisite in getting athletes to fulfill their potential. However, given its inherently abstract nature, it is a force that is often difficult to exploit fully.
Different types of motivation
One of the most popular and widely tested approaches to motivation in sport and other achievement domains is self-determination theory(1-3). This theory is based on a number of motives or regulations, which vary in terms of the degree of self-determination they reflect. Self-determination has to do with the degree to which your behaviors are chosen and self-initiated. The behavioral regulations can be placed on a self-determination continuum. From the least to the most self-determined they are a-motivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation and intrinsic motivation.
A-motivation; represents a lack of intention to engage in a behavior. It is accompanied by feelings of incompetence and a lack of connection between one’s behavior and the expected outcome. For example, an a-motivated athlete might be heard saying, ‘I can’t see the point in training any more – it just tires me out’ or ‘I just don’t get any buzz out of competition whatsoever’. Such athletes exhibit a sense of helplessness and often require counseling, as they are highly prone to dropping out.
External and introjected regulations -represent non-self-determined or controlling types of extrinsic motivation because athletes do not sense that their behavior is "choiceful" and, as a consequence, they experience psychological pressure. Participating in sport to receive prize money, win a trophy or a gold medal typifies external regulation. Participating to avoid punishment or negative evaluation is also external. Introjection is an internal pressure under which athletes might participate out of feelings of guilt or to achieve recognition.
Identified and integrated regulations - represent self-determined types of extrinsic motivation because behavior is initiated out of choice, although it is not necessarily perceived to be enjoyable. These types of regulation account for why some athletes devote hundreds of hours to repeating mundane drills; they realize that such activity will ultimately help them to improve. Identified regulation represents engagement in a behavior because it is highly valued, whereas when a behavior becomes integrated it is in harmony with one’s sense of self and almost entirely self-determined. Completing daily flexibility exercises because you realize they are part of an overarching goal of enhanced performance might be an example of integrated regulation.
Intrinsic motivation - comes from within, is fully self-determined and characterized by interest in, and enjoyment derived from, sports participation. There are three types of intrinsic motivation, namely intrinsic motivation to know, intrinsic motivation to accomplish and intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation. Intrinsic motivation is considered to be the healthiest type of motivation and reflects an athlete’s motivation to perform an activity simply for the reward inherent in their participation.
Flow: the ultimate motivational state
According to Hungarian psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, the highest level of intrinsic motivation is flow state. Flow is characterized by complete immersion in an activity, to the degree that nothing else matters. Central to the attainment of flow is a situation in which there is a perfect match between the perceived demands of an activity and an athlete’s perceived ability or skills. During flow, self-consciousness is lost and athletes become one with the activity. (One of the more common athletes to famously achieve flow is Michael Jordan)
A very recent study showed that during competition deemed to be important, intrinsically motivated athletes developed task-oriented (positive) coping strategies. Conversely, extrinsically motivated athletes tended to avoid dealing with key issues and were far less likely to achieve their goals. In another study, researchers adopted a qualitative approach to answer the question ‘why does the “fire” of elite athletes burn so brightly?. They sought to demystify the differences between high achievers and "runner-ups" in the world of sport. Their interviews with 10 elite Australian track and field athletes revealed three overarching themes:
Elite athletes set personal goals that were based on both self-determined and extrinsic motives;They had a high self-belief in their ability to succeed;Track and field was central to their lives – everything rotated around their involvement in the sport.Using a statistical procedure known as ‘cluster analysis’, colleagues and I have identified two types of ‘motivation profile’. The first was characterized by high levels of both controlling and self-determined types of behavioral regulations and the second by high self-determined and low controlling motivation. A comparison of the two profiles on the motivation outcomes of enjoyment, effort, positive and negative affect, attitude towards sport, strength and the quality of behavioral intentions, satisfaction, and frequency of attendance showed that participants in the first profile reported higher levels on all eight positive consequences when compared to those in the second profile.
This finding suggests that the simultaneous presence of high extrinsic and high intrinsic motivation is likely to yield the most positive benefits for adult athletes. However, it is critical that extrinsic motives are nurtured on a firm foundation of high intrinsic motivation. Without high intrinsic motivation, athletes are likely to drop out when they encounter problems such as injury, non-selection or demotion.
Motivational Techniques from the Tristar Athletes Coaches;
1. Goal setting (visit our Tristar goal setting article)
2. Positive self talk; Positive self-talk is a technique that can be used to enhance motivation across a wide range of achievement domains. It makes use of an athlete’s powerful inner voice to reinforce their self-esteem or important aspects of their performance. With appropriate repetition, self-talk can positively alter an athlete’s belief system.
3. Motivational Music; A particularly good way to motivate athletes in training and prior to competition is through the use of music they perceive to be inspirational. Sydney Olympics rowing gold medallist, Tim Foster, now a respected coach, uses music to punctuate all of the indoor training sessions that he leads. Specifically, during circuit training or rowing ergometer intervals, he puts on loud/fast music, while during recovery periods he plays soft/slow music. Therefore, work and recovery times are regulated by music. Research from Brunel University indicates that this approach increases work output, reduces perceived exertion and improves in-task affect – the pleasure experienced during the activity
Summary
Each and every one of us has an untapped energy source that can be drawn upon to bring about superior results. Enhancing motivation is fundamentally about a change of attitude, developing a positive ‘can do’ mindset and engaging in systematic behaviors – the short-term process goals – that facilitate improvement.
References
1. Deci E, Ryan R (1985) Intrinsic Motivation and Self-determination in Human Behavior, New York: Plenum
2. J Personality Social Psych 1987; 53:1024-1037
3. AmPsych 2000; 55:68-78
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The key driver for eating is of course hunger but what we choose to eat is not determined solely by physiological or nutritional needs. Some of the other factors that influence food choice include:
- Biological determinants such as hunger, appetite, and taste
- Economic determinants such as cost, income, availability
- Physical determinants such as access, education, skills (e.g. cooking) and time
- Social determinants such as culture, family, peers and meal patterns
- Psychological determinants such as mood, stress and guilt
- Attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about food
The complexity of food choice is obvious from the list above, which is in itself not exhaustive. Food choice factors also vary according to life stage and the power of one factor will vary from one individual or group of people to the next.
HUNGER and SATIETY
Our physiological needs provide the basic determinants of food choice. Humans need energy and nutrients in order to survive and will respond to the feelings of hunger and satiety (satisfaction of appetite, state of no hunger between two eating occasions). The central nervous system is involved in controlling the balance between hunger, appetite stimulation and food intake.
The macro-nutrients i.e. carbohydrates, proteins and fats generate satiety signals of varying strength. The balance of evidence suggests that fat has the lowest satiating power, carbohydrates have an intermediate effect and protein has been found to be the most satiating.
The energy density of diets has been shown to exert potent effects on satiety; low energy density diets generate greater satiety than high energy density diets. The high energy density of high-fat and/or high-sugar foods can also lead to ‘passive overconsumption’, where excess energy is ingested unintentionally and without the consumption of additional bulk.
An important satiety signal may be the volume of food or portion size consumed. Many people are unaware of what constitutes appropriate portion sizes and thus inadvertently consume excess energy.
PALATABILITY
Palatability is proportional to the pleasure someone experiences when eating a particular food. It is dependent on the sensory properties of the food such as taste, smell, texture and appearance. Sweet and high-fat foods have an undeniable sensory appeal. It is not surprising then that food is not solely regarded as a source of nourishment but is often consumed for the pleasure value it imparts.
SENSORY ASPECTS
‘Taste’ is consistently reported as a major influence on food behavior. In reality ‘taste’ is the sum of all sensory stimulation that is produced by the ingestion of a food. This includes not only taste per se but also smell, appearance and texture of food. These sensory aspects are thought to influence, in particular, spontaneous food choice.
From an early age, taste and familiarity influence behavior towards food. A liking for sweetness and a dislike for bitterness are considered innate human traits, present from birth. Taste preferences and food aversions develop through experiences and are influenced by our attitudes, beliefs and expectations.
COST AND ACCESSIBILITY
There is no doubt that the cost of food is a primary determinant of food choice. Whether cost is prohibitive depends fundamentally on a person's income and socio-economic status. Low-income groups have a greater tendency to consume unbalanced diets and in particular have low intakes of fruit and vegetables. However, access to more money does not automatically equate to a better quality diet but the range of foods from which one can choose should increase.
Accessibility to shops is another important physical factor influencing food choice, which is dependent on resources such as transport and geographical location. Healthy food tends to be more expensive when available within towns and cities compared to supermarkets on the outskirts. However, improving access alone does not increase purchase of additional fruit and vegetables, which are still regarded as prohibitively expensive.
EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE
Studies indicate that the level of education can influence dietary behavior during adulthood. In contrast, nutrition knowledge and good dietary habits are not strongly correlated. This is because knowledge about health does not lead to direct action when individuals are unsure how to apply their knowledge. Furthermore, information disseminated on nutrition comes from a variety of sources and is viewed as conflicting or is mistrusted, which discourages motivation to change.
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL CLASS
What people eat is formed and constrained by circumstances that are essentially social and cultural. Population studies show there are clear differences in social classes with regard to food and nutrient intakes. Poor diets can result in under- (micronutrients deficiency) and over-nutrition (energy over consumption resulting in overweight and obesity); problems that face different sectors of society, requiring different levels of expertise and methods of intervention.
CULTURAL INFLUENCES
Cultural influences lead to the difference in the habitual consumption of certain foods and in traditions of preparation, and in certain cases can lead to restrictions such as exclusion of meat and milk from the diet. Cultural influences are however amenable to change: when moving to a new country individuals often adopt particular food habits of the local culture.
SOCIAL CONTEXT
Social influences on food intake refer to the impact that one or more persons have on the eating behavior of others, either direct (buying food) or indirect (learn from peer's behavior), either conscious (transfer of beliefs) or subconscious. Even when eating alone, food choice is influenced by social factors because attitudes and habits develop through the interaction with others. However, quantifying the social influences on food intake is difficult because the influences that people have on the eating behavior of others are not limited to one type and people are not necessarily aware of the social influences that are exerted on their eating behavior.
- Social support can have a beneficial effect on food choices and healthful dietary change
- Social support may enhance health promotion through fostering a sense of group belonging and helping people to be more competent. and "self-efficacious"
- The family is widely recognised as being significant in food decisions. Research shows the shaping of food choices taking place in the home. Because family and friends can be a source of encouragement in making and sustaining dietary change, adopting dietary strategies which are acceptable to them may benefit the individual - while also having an effect on the eating habits of others.
SOCIAL SETTING
Although the majority of food is eaten in the home, an increasing proportion is eaten outside the home, e.g. in schools, at work and in restaurants. The venue in which food is eaten can affect food choice, particularly in terms of what foods are on offer. The availability of healthy food at home and 'away from home' increases the consumption of such foods. However, access to healthy food options is limited in many work/school environments. This is particularly true for those with irregular hours or with particular requirements, e.g. vegetarian
MEAL PATTERNS
People have many different eating occasions daily, the motivations for which will differ from one occasion to the next. Most studies investigate the factors that influence habitual food choice but it may be useful to investigate what influences food choice at different eating occasions.
The effects of snacking on health have been debated widely. Evidence shows that snacking can have effects on energy and nutrient intakes but not necessarily on body mass index. However, individuals with normal weight or overweight may differ in their coping strategies when snack foods are freely available and also in their compensatory mechanisms at subsequent meals. Moreover, snack composition may be an important aspect in the ability of individuals to adjust intake to meet energy needs.
Helping young adults to choose healthy snack choices poses a challenge to many health professionals. In the home, rather than forbidding unhealthy snacks, a more positive approach may be the introduction of healthy snack options over time. Moreover, healthy food choices outside the home also need to be made more readily available.
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
STRESS
Psychological stress is a common feature of modern life and can modify behaviors that affect health, such as physical activity, smoking or food choice.
The influence of stress on food choice is complex not least because of the various types of stress one can experience. The effect of stress on food intake depends on the individual, the stressor and the circumstances. In general, some people eat more and some eat less than normal when experiencing stress.
The proposed mechanisms for stress induced changes in eating and food choice are motivational differences (reduced concern about weight control), physiological (reduced appetite caused by the processes associated with stress) and practical changes in eating opportunities, food availability and meal preparation.
Studies also suggest that if work stress is prolonged or frequent, then adverse dietary changes could result, increasing the possibility of weight gain and consequently cardiovascular risk
MOOD
Hippocrates was the first to suggest the healing power of food, however, it was not until the middle ages that food was considered a tool to modify temperament and mood. Today it is recognised that food influences our mood and that mood has a strong influence over our choice of food.
Interestingly, it appears that the influence of food on mood is related in part to attitudes towards particular foods. The ambivalent relationship with food – wanting to enjoy it but conscious of weight gain is a struggle experienced by many. Dieters, people with high restraint and some women report feeling guilty because of not eating what they think they should. Moreover, attempts to restrict intake of certain foods can increase the desire for these particular foods, leading to what are described as food cravings.
Women more commonly report food cravings than do men. Depressed mood appears to influence the severity of these cravings. Reports of food cravings are also more common in the premenstrual phase, a time when total food intake increases and a parallel change in basal metabolic rate occurs.
Thus, mood and stress can influence food choice behavior and possibly short and long term responses to dietary intervention.
EATING DISORDERS
Eating behavior, unlike many other biological functions, is often subject to sophisticated cognitive control. One of the most widely practised forms of cognitive control over food intake is dieting.
Many individuals express a desire to lose weight or improve their body shape and thus engage in approaches to achieve their ideal body mass index. However, problems can arise when dieting and/or exercise are taken to extremes. The cause of eating disorders is usually a combination of factors including biological, psychological, familial and socio-cultural. The occurrence of eating disorders is often associated with a distorted self-image, low self-esteem, non-specific anxiety, obsession, stress and or general unhappiness.
FOCUS ON COST
Household income and the cost of food is an important factor influencing food choice, especially for low-income consumers. The potential for food wastage leads to a reluctance to try ‘new’ foods for fear the family will reject them. In addition, a lack of knowledge and the loss of cooking skills can also inhibit buying and preparing meals from basic ingredients.
TIME CONSTRAINTS
Lack of time is frequently mentioned for not following nutritional advice, particularly by the young and well educated. People living alone or cooking for one seek out convenience foods rather than cooking from basic ingredients. This need has been met with a shift in the fruit and vegetables market from loose to pre-packed, prepared and ready-to-cook products. These products are more expensive than loose products but people are willing to pay the extra cost because of the convenience they bring. Developing a greater range of tasty, convenient foods with good nutritional profiles offers a route to improving the diet quality of these groups.
CHANGING FOOD BEHAVIOR: SUCCESSFUL INTERVENTIONS
Dietary change is not easy because it requires alterations in habits that have been built up over a life-time. Various settings such as schools, workplaces, supermarkets, primary care and community based studies have been used in order to identify what works for particular groups of people. Although results from such trials are difficult to extrapolate to other settings or the general public, such targeted interventions have been reasonably successful, illustrating that different approaches are required for different groups of people or different aspects of the diet.
CONCLUSIONS
There are many influences on food choice which provide a whole set of means to intervene into and improve your food choices. There are also a number of barriers to dietary and lifestyle change, which vary depending on life stages and the individual or group of people in question.
It is a major challenge both to health professionals and to the public themselves to effect dietary change. Different strategies are required to trigger a change in behavior in groups with different priorities. Campaigns that incorporate tailored advice that include practical solutions as well as environmental change are likely to succeed in facilitating dietary change.
References
1. Anderson A, et al. (2003). The development of and evaluation of a novel school based intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intake in children (Five a Day The Bash Street Way), N09003. Report for the FSA, London.
2. Anderson A & Cox D (2000). Five a day - challenges and achievements. Nutrition and Food Science 30(1):30-34.
3. Anderson AS, et al. (1998). Take Five, a nutrition education intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intakes: impact on attitudes towards dietary change. British Journal of Nutrition 80:133-140.
4. Ajzen I & Fishbein M (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior. E
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Goals are an important part of staying motivated. We have put together a separate article for you here to get started learning more about setting your own goals. We encourage you to jump here and also setup a time to discuss with your Tristar coach your goals and long term objectives.
How to get started and stay motivated
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Regularly review your goals and progress with your Tristar Coach. Seeing progress is a great motivator in itself, and also improves your self-esteem.
Continue to set new goals. Think about what you want to achieve next week, next month and next year?! Tackle one goal at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
Keep the momentum up. It takes up to 3 months to develop a new habit, so keeping the momentum and routine helps it feel more automatic over time.
Work with your Tristar coaches – Our coaches are experienced in the habit you want to change. Joining in on our monthly team support calls will connect you with those with similar interests and goals.
We surround ourselves with positive teammates : ) Positive friends and family enhance our positive self-talk, which can also help to manage the symptoms of depression and anxiety. (We are all prone to this!)
Exercise is our weapon of choice towards your daily goals to improve your mental and physical health.
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Setbacks are normal, but developing resilience can help you carry on and pick up where you left off. Here are some tips to help you find your motivation again:
Review your goals and see if they are realistic in the timeframe you have set. You may need to break your goal down further into smaller and more achievable goals.
Remember why you wanted to get motivated or reach that goal in the first place.
Take motivation from others – feel inspired by reading a book, talking to your mentor or friends or family who have reached similar goals to the ones you have set.
Sometimes you just need to take a break and start afresh.
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Make your goals part of your routine by using Training Peaks diary (comments feature) and other apps like MyFitnessPal for reminders.
Positive self-talk is important and effective in managing goals and expectations; Instead of saying 'I can't', say 'I can try'.
Mindfulness helps keep you relaxed and focused.
Reward yourself when you have completed a step, milestone or goal.
Watch the team Motivational replay
Questions you should ask yourself about your own motivations
How do you find your motivation?
What motivates you?
What motivates you the most?
What demotivates you?
Who helps you stay motivated?
How has your motivation changed over time?
How do you feel when you are motivated?
How do you feel when you are demotivated?!
What motivates you to be active and work on your health goals each day?
Share with us your goals?
Think back to a time when you were demotivated... What about that time period sticks out? How did you move towards more healthy goals and motivations?
What motivates you to work on your long term goals?