What makes people stick to exercise programs? Is it determination, will, “good genes”, luck? There is no one right answer to the question. People are active for a variety of reasons – and research suggests that what might motivate someone to get started may not be the same thing that keeps them active.

Generally, most people initially engage in an exercise activity for extrinsic reasons. For example, “to get in shape”, “lose some weight”, “because my doctor told me to shape up”, “because my wife bought me a membership”, etc....

Research is very clear in suggesting that individuals who stick to a regular exercise program over a prolonged period of time do so not for the extrinsic reasons that got them started, but for intrinsic (personalized) reasons. Some of the stated intrinsic reasons include: “exercising makes me feel good about myself”, “I’m a better person after a good workout”, “I’m more relaxed and focussed when I work out”, etc....

Why then do so many people have difficulty sticking with a program? The shift from extrinsic motivation (i.e. to lose some weight) to an intrinsic motivation (exercising regularly makes me feel good) gets derailed. For example, some people may get bored with the exercise before they internalize the benefits of being regularly active; or they go on a vacation or miss a couple of workouts because of meetings, etc....

There are many more reasons, but what about a solution? Some suggestions: Find something you like to do – be it weights, aerobics, running. Set reasonable goals. Keep modifying your program. Get a buddy. Train for a special event (i.e. marathon, bike tour, etc...). There is no substitute for good advice. Read reputable exercise journals (be careful what you read in a magazine or on the internet – you need to filter the information and determine what is legitimate and what isn’t). Better still, talk to Boze or one of Boze’s experienced trainers. Let them know what you want from your training and they will help refine your program

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