ADVERTISEMENT
Before you head into the second week of joyful movement, here’s a quick psychology lesson to take with you: There are two types of motivation at play when you’re starting a new exercise routine, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation means that you’re doing something for your own enjoyment, while extrinsic motivation implies that you’re in it for some outside reward.
Most of us tend to have a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that drive us toward a goal. For example, some people exercise because they know it’s good for their health (an extrinsic factor), and because they’re passionate about a sport (intrinsic factor). However, research shows that people who are pushed by intrinsic motivation tend to stick to programs better than those motivated by extrinsic factors.
The key to staying intrinsically motivated when it comes to exercise, is to find an activity that you truly like, and one that you feel like you can do. Feeling competent in your workout will build your self esteem, and ultimately make the experience more enjoyable. So, with that in mind, take a look at our second week of activity suggestions and think about how these exercises make you feel.
Next week, we’ll be releasing the third and last week of exercise suggestions.
Joyful Movement is part of Clean Slate, Refinery29’s 21-day course filled with new ways to think about food, exercise and stress relief. Sign up here to get nutritious recipes, fun physical activities, and some suggestions to beat stress that don’t require meditation.
ADVERTISEMENT