It's midway through the fall semester, so it may be a good time check in with your weekly routine and see if there's anything you would like to change. I would certainly like to improve my study skills, and I would also like to exercise more. My excuse to skip the gym is generally that I don't have enough time to exercise, but in reality I am having trouble motivating myself.
There is an explanation for why it is hard to get motivated for a workout. When you anticipate a sweat session, you tend to underestimate how enjoyable it will be. A study at the University of British Columbia found that when people rated the pleasantness of an exercise before and after, they ended up having a better time than they expected.
The study also revealed that people tend to think the beginning of the workout will be less pleasant than the workout as a whole, which makes it hard to get over that initial unpleasant hump. These findings suggest that in order to get more pumped up for a run or Pilates class, you need to consider all of the phases of the workout, including the endorphin rush you will experience once you get started, or think about the satisfaction you will feel once the workout is over.
The weather is cooling down and midterms are coming to a close, which means it's a great time to get outside and get moving. All you need to do is think about how good you'll feel once you get out the door.
Posts in Gatorminds appear on Wednesdays.
