October 18, 2021: Motivations for Exercise

Here's another way to think about your motivations for exercise:
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Are you doing it for external validation? Or internal desire?
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Here's the difference.
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Exercising for external validation:
- we're trying to prove our worth through exercise or looking a certain way
- we're doing it for other people to see
- we're doing it because we think we should (in order to be good)
- we're doing it to measure up
- we're doing it to control the way our bodies look
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Internal desire:
- we're doing it because we want to
- we're doing it because it feels good
- we're doing it because we love it
- we're doing it because we want to take care of ourselves
- we're doing it because it's empowering
- we're doing it because we want to reduce stress
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... etc etc etc
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See how in the external section, it's all about what others can see? And in the internal section it's all about how we feel?
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Nobody knows how often I move my body, except for my husband, really.
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And based on my body’s appearance, they def can't tell that I work out regularly based in society’s definition of what “fit” looks like 🙄
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But that's fine, I don't exercise for other people to see or know.
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I do it because it fills me up. It fuels me and my life. It helps me take care of myself mentally, physically and emotionally.
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Actually, I do it so that I can show up FOR the people I love.
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Here's the bottom line: when we build a relationship with movement that is intrinsically motivated, and we do it FOR ourselves, that's when we build a sustainable, life-long relationship with movement.
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When we do it all for other people and make it about how we look... we build a toxic relationship with exercise that is unlikely to be sustainable long-term.