Motivation Theory For Exercise And Weight Loss

If you have made the difficult decision to lose weight - congratulations! For most, making a pledge to their own well-being is the hardest step. But in spite of self-motivation, many people discover they do not know what exercises to incorporate for rapid weight loss.

There are three major sorts of exercise: aerobic exercise, such as skipping rope; flexibility exercises, like yoga and other forms of stretching; and strength training, such as resistance exercises and weight lifting.

Aerobic and strength training will help you work off the most calories. Because losing weight is dependent on either taking in less calories or burning more, it is best to focus on these at first to guarantee your self motivation lasts as you lose weight.

Usually, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week is ideal. Build the interval and frequency as you improve.

But many people whose self-motivation has urged them to begin an exercise for weight loss program neglect the importance of strength training. Aerobic exercise burns more calories initially, but weight lifting increases muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories than fat. A pound of muscle requires 35 calories a day to function at rest; a pound of fat requires only two calories for the same function.

The fitness consensus used to suggest that to "build" muscle, you should do fewer reps (3-5) at higher weights, and to simply "tone," higher reps (12-15) at lower weights was the best way. But there's no such thing as "toning." Definition that results from what's wrongly called toning results because you have lost the layer of fat on top of the muscle, making the muscle more visible. The size of the muscle underneath depends on how strenuously you train.

You must "tear down" the muscle so it can rebuild itself afterward. In fact, you do not build muscle while working out but you do in the days after when it is "resting." The broad guideline for strength training is beginning with three sets of 8-12 reps at a weight that leaves you nearly incapable of completing the entire set. Then, rest for 30-60 seconds before attempting your next set.

Do not be disheartened if you are unable to complete all of the reps on every set. In fact, use that to determine when to add weight. If you're doing each set without any muscle strain, you will want to add weight.

Self-motivation got you to begin, but many people have a difficult time maintaining the pace. It helps to know that the source of our motivations is a belief. Consider it: If you didn't believe the gnawing sensation in your stomach meant you were hungry, you wouldn't feel motivated to eat.

Figuring out what ideas motivate you is key to weight loss, because when you feel powerfully motivated, you will exercise regularly. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a form of hypnosis. And there are NLP methods that can build exercise motivation because, over time, desire to exercise for weight loss alone probably will not be enough to keep you working out. Hypnosis for exercise motivation therapy can help.

Your first task is naming the most important things in your life. We call these things your highly valued criteria. Highly valued criteria are usually intangibles: money wouldn't be highly valued criteria, but the security, freedom or fun that money can bring would be.

Next, establish what you need to believe to feel motivated to exercise. It is necessary to remember that logic has nothing to do with belief. Things do not have to be logical to believe them. You may find you already have a belief that conflicts this new idea. That is okay.

While understanding what motivates us is valuable, exercise hypnosis motivation therapy can put these ideas to work by ensuring self motivation endures. Hypnosis for motivation does this by modifying the computer codes in your brain, so you believe ideas that motivate you.

Belief systems are based in our unconscious mind, which is like a computer. Computers do not have the facility to reason. The input controls the output. The methods used in exercise hypnosis motivation therapy can make you believe nearly anything, as long as you're willing to believe.

You begin by making an image in your mind that illustrates something you already believe, like, "I love my children." Then you learn to calibrate the elements or 'Submodalities' of that mental belief picture.

Next, you make a mental movie that illustrates your motivational idea. Let's say your motivational idea is, "If I exercise, then I will look great and my marriage will get better." Then you learn how to modify the Submodalities of this mental image to match with the Submodalities in your calibrated belief picture. Conversely, if a belief is holding you back, the same technique can change that belief to doubt.

Hypnosis for motivation that uses NLP can provide you with something of an internal personal trainer. Using an exercise hypnosis motivation program ensures that the zeal you began with lasts until reaching your objective, and then helps you maintain that objective.

About The Author:
Alan B. Densky, CH has specialized in all aspects of hypnotism for weight loss, including motivation theory CDs since 1978. Visit his Neuro-VISION self hypnosis website to benefit from Free hypnosis articles, videos, and newsletters.