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HEALTH TRICK
How to use psychology to trick your mind into getting fit and falling in love with exercise
A sports psychologist reveals the four helpful hacks to get your mind in the game and your body in the gym
I'VE always admired people who enjoy exercise.
I am not one of them.
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That's not to say I'm not aware of how good working out is - both for my brain and body.
As a health journalist, I am always reading about new studies which explore the benefits of getting some rigorous movement into your day.
Exercise can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your brain power and even make you happier - and that's just the start of it.
Science has shown that getting your body moving can have a really positive impact even in very short chunks and with no equipment or fancy gym membership required.
Read more on exercise
Even with this knowledge, I still find it hard to put on my trainers and get out the door without at least a little resentment.
I spoke with Bradley Busch, a registered psychologist who works with athletes, in the blind hope he could help me fall in love with what's good for me.
"Exercise is a polarising activity," Bradley, who is also the director of InnerDrive, tells me.
"While some people revel in the endorphin rush and sense of accomplishment, others find it a chore and a struggle," he adds.
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As I begin relating - rather embarrassingly - to the latter group, the psychologist reassures me that there is a way to change my dismal perspective.
"There are loads of strategies, based on over a hundred years of research can help you trick your brain into enjoying it more and doing it better," he explains.
JUST GET GOING
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For me, and likely many others, summoning the will to exercise is half the battle.
"Most the time, people think the effort involved is going to be more than it actually is," Bradley explains.
"So if you just start, even if you commit to doing a short bout of exercise that can lead to people wanting to continue."
This all sounds well and good in theory, but on days when the sofa is extra comfy how does one convince themselves to get off their bum and go for a run?
"You need to stop thinking your only option here is here is to do something high-intensity," Bradley says.
"Your workout doesn't have to be something that gets you out of breath.
"There is a whole bunch of research that suggests even low-level, and moderate exercise, like walking, is still really good for you."
PICK A GOOD TRAINING PARTNER
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You've got yourself into the gym once, but what's to say you will again?
This is where accountability comes in.
"One of the big urges that we have as humans is to be consistent with our previous self," Bradley says.
"If you're trying to commit to something, and tell someone about it, you're much more likely to do it." he expains.
One way you can keep tabs on yourself and keep is by using a fitness tracking app, like Strava.
Strava, used by over 6million Brits, and allows users to share their runs, cycles and swims with their friends.
But Bradley says the best thing you can do to keep yourself on course is to find yourself an exercise partner.
"Getting someone involved in your workouts not only keeps you accountable, but it also makes the task more enjoyable so you're more likely to do it again," he explains.
Perhaps you can do this by planning a speed walk with a friend so your workout doubles as a social outing, or making an existing work meeting a walk-and-talk.
There is evidence to suggest joining forces with another person can especially benefit the less fit partner.
In the 1920s, German psychologist, Otto Köhler found that when two people completed a joint task, the individual performance of the weaker member was actually better than if they had done it themselves.
"If you are unsure or reluctant, choose a training partner who is slightly better than you and who can help motivate and inspire you," Bradley says.
"Don't link up with someone who is doing things far beyond what you're currently capable of.
"This will just make excise stressful and daunting."
TRAIN WITH A GROUP
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If you can't find a partner, fear not - you can always join a group!
In fact, group exercise is really good for getting the most out of your workout, Bradley explains.
One of the oldest experiments in sport psychology, conducted by an psychologist Norman Triplett in 1898, found cyclists rode faster when racing against others, compared to when they did so on their own.
Psychologists refer to that external pressure as ‘social facilitation’, and it helps explain why exercise classes can be so powerful.
"It's much easier to get off the treadmill, or to not do the last weight repetition when we're by ourselves," Bradley explains.
"When we're part of a group the group dynamic, the motivation, the peer competitiveness can help push us on and help us keep going just that little bit longer," he adds.
SEE IT AS A CHOICE NOT A SACRIFICE
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It's easy to fall into the trap of seeing exercise as a sacrifice: of time spent sleeping in, of time at the pub. I'm definitely guilty of this.
For me, working out is something I feel like I have to do in order to stay fit and be healthy, rather than something I want to do.
Although the distinction may seem small, the way you perceive your workouts will determine how likely you are to do it again, Bradley explains.
"If you always think about what you're giving up you'll probably end up resenting your workout," he says,
Instead, Bradley says we should view exercise as an 'active choice'.
What he means by this, is that exercise should be something you actively decide to do and not do just because you think you should.
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"By reminding yourself that no one is making you work out and that you are choosing to do this to yourself puts you in a position of power," he explains.
"This power and autonomy can be very motivational when it comes to starting and maintaining good exercise habits," he says.
The least amount of exercise you can get away with
Inactivity is pathological: it can (very slowly) literally kill us.
However, many of us cannot be bother to do any exercise to combat this.
Working out takes time, effort and willpower – which we don’t all have.
This may well have got you thinking; What's the bare minimum amount of exercise you can get away with weekly, while still seeing results like gaining muscle or losing weight?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), any amount of physical activity is better than none.
And anything counts, the health watchdog maintains, whether it's done as part of work, household tasks or commuting on a bike.
It says the minimum amount of exercise we should aim to achieve each week is:
- 150 minutes of moderate exercise – where you can maintain a conversation, but you’re slightly out of breath
- OR... 75 minutes of vigorous exercise – that causes rapid breathing and a significant increase in heart rate
Dean Zweck, product development manager at Total Fitness, said we should also aim to do at least two strength sessions per week on top of this.
These can either use machines or free weights, such as dumbbells and kettlebells, and you should strive to complete about 10 sets engaging each muscle group.
"This may sound like a lot to achieve," he said.
But he told Sun Health: "The best way to do this would be to split your workouts over the week."
You could aim for either:
- Five 30-minute sessions of moderate exercise (this could be a fast-paced walk, cycle, swim or light jog)
- OR three 25-minute sessions of vigorous exercise (HIIT, spin, boxing, running)
- Or a mixture of both
- Two strength sessions (upper body one day, lower body another). These could be done on the same day as the above
If you're more of a weekend warrior and you can only do your workout sessions at the end of the week, due to work, family or social commitments.
Dean said you can do all the exercise you need to do in just two sessions.