Moving through the stages of motivational readiness.

AimeeZingLife

To better understand your attitudes about exercise I am going to explain the 5 levels of motivational readiness. I feel like insight into who you are and where you are at is the beginning of all change.



Stage 1 Precontemplation: No exercise is occuring and there are no plans to engage in any within the next 6 months.

Stage 2 Contemplation: No exercise is occuring, but there is an intention to start within the next 6 months.

Stage 3 Preparation: Exercise is occuring, but not at standard recommended levels.

Stage 4 Action: The person is exercising at recommended levels, but has not maintained the program for 6 months or longer.

Stage 5 Maintenance: Exercise has been occuring at recommended levels for 6 months or longer.



What do you do in each of these stages to get you to the Maintenance stage?

In the Precontemplation stage people exercise based on 3 things: their perceived threat of disease, susceptibility to disease, and the belief that the threat is severe. If you are in this stage increase your knowledge of the risks of any disease you have, which includes being over weight or obese. During this phase make your own analysis of benefits to exercise. These benefits can be interpersonal or social. Do you want to be that person that everyone is talking about and wants to look like? If you have made previous attempts in the past to exercise, identify the risks that made you stop. Living vicariously through another person can be a motivation. I watched my friend run the Chicago marathon. There was so much energy there that I wanted to run one myself. My sister and her family came to watch me run my 3rd marathon. Not being a runner herself, her and her husband ended up running a 5k. My 4 year nephew was so motivated that he was running circles around the coffee table to get in shape to be a runner )

In Contemplation continue to look at the benefits of exercise and eliminate barriers. Barriers might be time constraint. It might mean replacing an unhealthy habit with a healthy habit. It might be eliminating friends who don't take care of themselves and are engaging in unhealthy habits with you. Take time to think in depth about what these barriers would be. I don't usually go back and read my forum post comments, but I do read what MFP friends say on my blog. I'd love for you to add me as your friend, respond to my blog, and as a community figure out ways to reduce these barriers. During this phase set short term goals. For example: walk 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Or ride your bike to do errands a couple days a week.

During Maintenance monitor your gains and reward them. When you lose 5lbs then you can buy a new dress. At this stage barrier reduction is the most important. Enlist social support, join a group on MFP, Bodybuilding.com, join a running, hiking, or biking group, meet a friend at the gym same time everyday, etc. I do challenge groups, because people are 3 times more likely to reach their goals with this kind of support then with none at all.

Substitute alternatives so that you don't get bored doing the same thing day in and day out. Cross-training can keep it exciting.

Stimulus control is also important by reminding you to workout. Keep the gym bag next to the door. I once attended the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People seminar by Stephen Covery and the 1st habit is proactivity. Being proactive means making up a schedule for yourself weekly to plan your week with all of the events, chores, errands, cooking, cleaning, work, leisure, etc that you plan on doing that week. People without schedules waste more time, and when you make out these schedules you may find that you are accomplishing more and still have time left over. In this stage gradually increase the time and intensity of exercise, and reevaluate your goals continually. Personally I'd recommend signing up for a marathon. Marathons take 4 months to prepare for. I've seen people of all different ages, sizes, and levels running one. One marathon I saw 300-400lb people walking in at the finish line, but they finished!!! My marathons have cost me up to $150 to enroll, then more money in running supplies. With that kindof investment I couldn't afford to quit, which was my motivation to keep going. If you need a marathon training guide I can get you one, even for beginning runners.

Once you get to Action you are at the greatest risk for relapse due to boredom and burnout. Social support is going to be your biggest need in this stage. Also plan for high risk situations that may cause you to quit, such as illness, missing several workout sessions, etc. People can tend to go into all or none thinking in this stage, but keep on working out even if you bounce back to the preparation stage for awhile. Benefits will still outweigh no exercise. One day of exercising a particular muscle group has been shown to be just as effective as working out that muscle group 2-3 times a week. I'm talking resistance training, not cardiovascular training. If you begin to get bored you might think about trying a new exercise program, joining a new group, or learning a new sport. I myself have learned how to breakdance. It's fun!!!



Finally in the Maintenance stage risk for quitting still exists. Plan for high risk situtations yet, revisit risks and benefits, continue to switch things up to prevent boredom. You might consider getting a personal trainer who can give you feedback, motivate you, push you beyond your limits, and one that will do check-in appointments. Getting a personal trainer might be something you want to begin to do in the Action phase.



Keep your motivation up by taking pictures. I have always been skinny, but I would have never seen a change in my abs had I not taken monthly pictures. So take pictures, pictures, pictures so that you can see and compare the changes. Share those pictures with others. I have the side by side comparison on my phone. Not only does it serve as a motivation for me, but when people see those pictures it serves as a motivation for them to change their own lives.

Also plan, plan, plan. Failure to plan is planning to fail!

My whole goal of moving from nursing to the fitness and nutrition industry is to help people change their lives. Curing with nutrition and exercise instead of medication. These changes in people is what makes my life exciting, especially when people are getting a lost part of their life back. If you want to walk this life and journey with me then add me as your buddy!!!!