May 3, 2024 – There are many reasons to exercise, but some are more motivating than others.

Perhaps the sexiest motivator (and the one people tend to follow, especially when warm weather is around the corner) is developing the “beach body.”

The problem: Setting high expectations for weight loss can set you up for disaster. Further investigation is proving that exercise alone has a relatively small impact on weight loss, and if you don’t see the results you want, your motivation diminishes.

For many – maybe you – “exercise is only associated with trying to lose weight,” he said. David Creel, PhD, psychologist, dietitian, and exercise physiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Because of this, “it has been linked to a life of perceived failure and has a really negative connotation.”

A change in mindset can help: If the number on the scale refuses to change, keep exercising anyway, Creel said. “I ask patients, ‘If your diet fails, do you stop showering?’” Of course not, he said, “This is how we should think about exercise,” as part of your health maintenance routine.

If you can reduce your diastolic pressure (the small number) by just 5 to 6 mm Hg, you can reduce your the risk of stroke by approximately 40%.

Track it: You should have your blood pressure tested regularly (every 2 to 5 years before age 40, and annually after that). If you have high blood pressure, follow your doctor’s recommendations. Home monitors are a smart investment. (Find validated devices here.) Most have an app to follow trends. The Greater Goods Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor ($68) is the pick of the Wirecutter Product Test Site and has a high user rating on Amazon.

Be consistent: Check your pressure in the same time every day – A good time is right after waking up, before drinking caffeine and after 5 minutes of stillness. (Although some doctors recommend taking it in the morning and at night.)

Reason #2: Finally eliminate those midday crises

A boost of energy right after exercising is typical and motivating, he said. Amy BucherPhD, behavioral director of Lily and author of Committed: Designing for behavior change. That boost is called a leading indicator: “You can detect it after just one workout,” she said. Weight loss, on the other hand, is a lagging indicator.

Visual reminder: Change your smartphone background to an image that represents your “why.” For Bucher, a photo of her and her husband in Puerto Rico reminds her that her resilience helps her embrace adventure.

Reason #3: Feeling like you can achieve anything

Psychologists call it “self-efficacy”: confidence in your ability to achieve a goal. It’s one of the main reasons people continue to exercise, backed by decades of investigation. It’s a virtuous cycle: Regular exercise reliably helps build self-efficacy, experts agree, and the more you exercise, the more you improve. You’ll become faster, stronger, and more skilled, and tracking that progress can be inspiring.

As you improve, you increase your sense of competence, a key factor in “self-determination” theory. According to the theory, all humans have three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (a sense of connection with others).

This works at whatever level you’re at: slowing down your average pace in a run or simply walking a few more blocks at a time. Even maintaining a streak of exercise days can boost confidence.

You’ll likely notice that you’re sleeping better soon after starting an exercise routine, according to an analysis from the Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Physical activity can influence the production of the sleep-wake hormone melatonin, helping you fall asleep faster and sleep better. It helps improve mood and reduce stress, both useful for falling asleep and staying asleep. and helps regulate core body temperature, making sleep easier to get.

Track it: HOWL ($239 for an annual membership), Oura Ring ($299), and the Fitbit sense 2 ($249.95) are wearable options for sleep tracking, Bucher said. You can also invest in a “smart bed,” a mattress with adjustable firmness that uses sensors to collect data about your sleep, such as Sleep Number smart bed ($1,099 for a queen), which monitors your movements, heartbeat, and breathing patterns to measure sleep quality.

Bedtime bonus: Getting better sleep can help prevent weight regain, Creel said. “Poor sleep can lead people to abandon their healthy eating patterns,” she said. A well-rested person is more likely to follow the program.

Feeling happy and good about yourself is usually a great autonomous motivator.

Track it: It’s hard to track your mood. Try journaling immediately after workouts and at another time of day to see if the exercise had an impact. Ask yourself how you handled stressful situations; how intensely you felt negative emotions and how you dealt with them; and if something you did made you feel happy or grateful.

Applications like dialium and eMoods allows you to track your mental state with emojis that represent what you did that day and how you felt. You will still have ups and downs, but the goal is to feel better on average over time. Overall, exercise can help relieve anxiety, make you feel like you can handle challenges better, and create a feeling of lightness in your life.

Take a break: Instead of rushing to do the next thing after you exercise, take 10 seconds to notice how you feel, compared to before you exercise. This type of mindfulness can be motivating, Bucher said.