There is a saying that the best type of exercise is the exercise that you’ll actually do, and this couldn’t be more right, because of what use is exercise if you don’t actually do it? This view point can apply to many aspects of our lifestyle like choosing what to eat, when to sleep, and how to socialise.

Being interested in what you’re doing is the key theme, and if you don’t like what you’re doing then you won’t be doing it for long.

When a person who wants to be more active chooses to go for regular walks because they like walking, then they’ll be more likely to stick to this routine, and will persist with it when they face barriers like lack of time and energy. In comparison a person who doesn’t enjoy walking is unlikely to be successful with this routine because enjoyment is important for self-control, and they’ll be happy to lapse from their routine at any given opportunity.

So the next time it comes to making a change to your lifestyle, consider what type of change is actually best for you. Don’t try to follow a diet or exercise program that you don’t enjoy, because you’ll cultivate negative associations and begin to think of it as a chore. Instead find a way of change that you really enjoy, because then you’ll be more likely to make that change happen for good.

Faye Prior (Researcher)

Source

O’Keefe, P., & Linnenbrink-Garcia, L. (2014). The role of interest in optimizing performance and self-regulation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 53, 70-8.

Image: https://flic.kr/p/9znEoF