You've made the decision to start a fitness program. You've checked with your doctor and been given a green light to start a moderate exercise routine, a yoga class, or perhaps a regular walking program. You begin enthusiastically but a few weeks or maybe a few months later you're back to your old sedentary routine. Why?
Many people start a fitness program with good intentions but can't seem to keep motivated. After a few weeks of enthusiasm the program becomes more and more of a chore. Excuses crop up and after a while the intentions wane and vague feelings of guilt and failure take their place. What happened?
Human beings are creatures of habit. The neural pathways in the brain are wired to become stronger when an action is repeated. Therefore, changing behavior starts with the mind.
Doing something over and over is one way to build new neural pathways. If the activity is pleasurable, then doing it repeatedly is its own reward and new habits are created painlessly. However, if the activity causes discomfort, either physical or emotional, then something called "will-power" comes into play.
Webster's dictionary defines will-power as "strength of will, mind or determination; self-control". All of those terms imply effort. Yes, we can overcome our resistances and old habits by will-power, but studies have shown that there are more effective ways to change behavior.
Every movement the body makes starts first in the mind. You can demonstrate this to yourself in the following way:
Sit comfortably in a chair and start thinking about your favorite food. (This exercise works best before meals rather than after eating.) Observe your body. Do you notice an increase in saliva production? If your favorite food is nearby, do you notice the muscles involved in getting you to the food starting to energize?
Human bodies are pleasure-seeking and pain-avoiding organisms. Certain things are almost universally pleasurable or painful, but often what brings pleasure to an individual is a product of past experiences. Food preferences, favored activities and behavioral habits are all programmed into the subconscious mind and make each individual unique. The subconscious mind runs on "autopilot" and governs most of human behavior, unless the conscious mind intervenes and decides to make a change.
Will-power is one way to make changes. Another way is to use the conscious mind to reprogram the subconscious mind, which will be the subject of later articles. A third way to make changes is to use the mind to find ways to associate the new behavior with something pleasurable. Here is an example:
Susan is 64 years old, 103 pounds over her ideal weight, and movement is becoming increasingly difficult for her. Her doctor has encouraged her to start a moderate exercise program along with dietary changes. Susan is determined to follow through this time, as she knows her health depends on making changes. (In the past she would start an exercise program but give up after several weeks.) What would be the best fitness program for Susan?
Susan could start by relaxing comfortably in a chair or on her bed. She could direct her mind to one part of her body at a time, becoming aware of any tension she is holding, any beliefs about that part of her body (is it strong, is it weak, is it healthy, etc.) and then let each feeling of tension and each negative belief go. Once she is totally relaxed she could playfully, like a child, imagine an activity she enjoys. Perhaps it is walking in nature, or swimming, or dancing to jazz music. Whatever she daydreams about as being pleasurable is the ideal place to start a fitness routine. If the activity requires more stamina than she currently has, she could simply imagine herself doing the activity every day for a period of time. Studies have shown that imagining a muscle is being used actually strengthens that muscle. Then she could gradually move into doing the activity physically at a pace that is comfortable for her.
Notice that there was no mention of will-power in the example. Instead, the mind was simply directed along channels that felt good. By channeling her mind in this manner, Susan is building new neural pathways in her brain are helping her meet her goals of becoming more fit and losing weight.
If you are like Susan and will-power hasn't worked for you, then perhaps this technique will help you build new, health-building habits.
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