top of page

HOW IMPROVING SELF-IMAGE HELPS YOU TO GET MOTIVATED TO EXERCISE 

It can be really challenging to get up every morning and tell your body to exercise, but with a couple of changes in how you see yourself, that can really make a huge difference to get you going every morning.

Self-Motivation-Feature-Image.jpg

What is Self-Image?

Self-image comes from oneself of how they see themselves. Basically it is how a person judges themselves. These days many tear themselves apart from the inside because they do not think they are perfect enough because the people we see everyday in our social media feeds are celebrities, models, athletes, etc. with perfect bodies. Seeing this every day can tear someone's self-image of themselves in half and lose any motivation they have of themselves. The better you portray yourself the more motivation you have.

Why is it important to improve self-image?

Improving your own self-image can help you focus on yourself and change your way of living, whether it is eating healthier and exercising to so you can get your dream body to being more productive to reach for success. Allow yourself to think positivity about yourself and see what you can accomplish with it. Here are some tips that may help you improve:

self-motivation.gif

TIPS:

  1. Take it one step at a time - Appreciate the little things in your progress and celebrate it.

  2. Don't compare yourself to others.

  3. Challenge your inner critic.

  4. Be with people that have the same mindset as you.

  5. Find something you enjoy doing.

  6. Believe in yourself! Don't give up!

Study about Self-Image Motivation: 

In 2013, Erin Pearson and Craig Hall did a study with 80 women and examined the relationship of healthy body image and exercise motivation. These women were given an 18-week cardiovascular program and had to fill-out two questionnaires that would test how individuals see themselves physically and mentally. These questionnaires were given 4 times throughout the 18-week program.

  • Exercise needed to be moderate to high intensity. If the exercise intensity was too high, individuals are more likely to give up and if the exercise intensity is too low, progress will be too slow and lose motivation over time. So moderate to high intensity exercises is key.

  • Exercise for 30-45 min, three times a week, told to achieve a pre-determined target heart rate. The target heart rate increases every 4-5 weeks which started from 50-60% of heart rate reserve to 60-70% by the end of the program.

    • Note: Heart rate reserve can be calculated by subtracting your max heart rate to your resting heart rate. (Get max HR by subtracting your age from 220). Try it for yourself!

Results:

  • For those who finished the program (37 women), throughout the study body image increased significantly. Those who did not finish had lower scores.

  • Individuals started to be more motivated to become physically fit on the 12 week. (Shows that this is a slow improvement so give yourself time before you give up)

References:

bottom of page