Contents:
- Medical Video: 5 ways to motivate yourself to work out when you don't feel like it!
- Tips to increase exercise motivation to fight depression
- 1. Choose a sport that makes you comfortable
- 2. Record all your physical activities
- 3. Use the five-second principle
- 4. Exercise with friends
- 5. Do sports the way you like
- 6. Understand your own abilities and needs
Medical Video: 5 ways to motivate yourself to work out when you don't feel like it!
Regular exercise can be a good and effective way to manage symptoms of depression. Because the exercise makes the body produce more amounts of endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and tryptophan. All of these hormones can make you feel happier and reduce pain. Dopamine and serotonin specifically work together to relieve stress while creating positive thoughts. But ironically, depression makes you less eager and motivated to do anything. So, how do you increase exercise motivation when depression eats away?
Tips to increase exercise motivation to fight depression
1. Choose a sport that makes you comfortable
One important strategy to keep your sports motivation alive is to choose the type of exercise you like. Rather than forcing yourself to go back and forth to go to the gym, try starting with things that are simpler. For example, walking or cycling around the complex. A more natural atmosphere will make your mind feel fresher and healthier. So, let yourself have fun with the type of exercise you choose without feeling overwhelmed.
Forcing yourself to do things you don't like can actually worsen your symptoms of depression.
2. Record all your physical activities
Tonisha Pinckney, a psychiatric advocate who also has depression and anxiety disorders, admits that regular exercise helps her to control the symptoms she experiences. Especially after he recorded every physical activity he did, Pinckney's sports motivation increased.
By routinely taking notes, you will know how far you have struggled to fight depression by looking at the pattern and frequency of your exercise. Making a sports journal also makes you more responsible for maintaining physical activity every day, maybe even increasing it.
This physical activity is not always about the type of exercise, huh. The choice of climbing stairs rather than an elevator or walking rather than riding a car or motorcycle also includes physical activity that you need to note. That way you will be more appreciative of every physical activity that you do and encouraged to consistently exercise regularly.
3. Use the five-second principle
Once you begin to experience recurrence and feel lazy or powerless to get out of bed, help divert your attention from the negative crisis with the principle of five seconds.
To restore your sports motivation, both physically and psychologically, start counting from five to one before starting to get up and move. You can use this tactic to provoke a positive aura so you wake up from feeling lazy.
Thus, hormones that play a role in improving your mood will continue to flow in the body.
4. Exercise with friends
According to Keith Johnsgard, PhD, a professor of psychology at San Jose University, social support is very important for people who are depressed. So, it never hurts to ask for help from friends or family members to accompany you to exercise. you can invite them to play badminton or tennis.
In addition to getting rid of boredom, activities with friends can further boost your sports motivation. There's nothing wrong with not burning a little competition between friends to make you try even harder?
5. Do sports the way you like
To get the benefits of exercise in overcoming depression, it cannot be obtained instantly. There are times when you get bored and lazy so you choose to take refuge behind a blanket.
Eits, don't rush back to sleep. You can give variety in every sport that you do, one of them is by sports while watching TV. Yes, you can do yoga or threadmill while watching TV. This can help divert your attention while continuing to move actively even though the sight is fixed on the glass screen.
6. Understand your own abilities and needs
The way to increase sports motivation is no less important is to understand yourself. Yes, you need to understand the extent of your ability to move. Don't force exercise if you really feel lethargic or not energetic, because this can not only adversely affect your stress level, but also on your body's health.
Encouraging yourself to stay active while experiencing depression is never easy. Well, the biggest motivation lies in yourself. Remember again your struggle to get out of bed and start step by step to get back to exercise. That way, you will be increasingly moved to exercise even though you have to go through it gradually.
