In this episode, I start off by talking to you about my experiences growing up as an athlete and how I made an active lifestyle a lasting part of my life, and how motivation played a key role in shaping my lifestyle. Then I get into a discussion on the psychology behind motivation and talk a little bit about something called the Self-Determination Theory, what it proposes, and how it’s related to your motivation to begin or sustain an exercise routine. Then I tie everything together with some practical examples of how key concepts within self-determination theory play out in everyday life, and how you can use them to shape and optimize your own active lifestyle. I finish up with some key questions I want you to consider that will help you maintain your motivation, even during the toughest of days.

Resources

Self-determination theory article: https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2003_WilsonRodgersEtAl_Relationship.pdf

Types of Extrinsic Motivation:

• External regulation: lies on that far left side of the self-determination spectrum, and it involves exercising to satisfy an external demand. This could look like you’re exercising just to avoid some sort of punishment, like your spouse nagging you every day to go do something. You basically just feel forced or pressured to do it and you don’t want to hear about it every day, so you go do it to avoid confrontation.

• Introjected regulation: similar to external regulation, but lies just to the right of it on the continuum, and it involves feeling coerced to exercise in order to avoid negative feelings or to support conditional self-worth. This could look like you’re exercising because you will feel guilty if you don’t. You hear about other people exercising and you feel like you should, or ought to be, doing it, but it’s not inherently enjoyable to you, so you go do it to avoid those feelings of shame or guilt. 

• Identified regulation: the next step to the right along the continuum, and it refers to participating because you value the important benefits associated with exercising, even though it’s still not inherently enjoyable to you. This could look like you beginning to go to the gym to ride the bike for 30 minutes a few times a week because you know it will improve your blood pressure and triglyceride levels, even though you don’t find it particularly enjoyable. But you still go because of the benefits it provides. This point along the continuum is actually where you begin to transition to more of a self-determined, or intrinsic, type of motivation, but you’re not quite there yet.

• Intrinsic regulation: lies on the right side of the continuum and it refers to action that stems from a voluntary choice to exercise for the pleasure, satisfaction, and interest derived from the exercise itself. This looks like when you’re exercising because you feel a strong sense of accomplishment from it, and you find it stimulating, enjoyable, and meaningful. For example, if you go to the gym to lift weights in the morning because you want to move better by improving your technique, feel stronger, boost your vitality, and you appreciate the effort that’s required to achieve these benefits, this is what intrinsic regulation looks like. You do it because it helps you grow and be a better person for yourself and those around you, and you feel a strong sense of purpose along with it.

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