Let’s talk about motivation to move.
Motivation is a force or influence that causes someone to do something.
There are two types of motivation:
Intrinsic motivation which refers to the behavior that is driven by internal rewards; for example doing something without any obvious external rewards. Simply enjoying an activity or seeing it as an opportunity to explore & grow.
Extrinsic motivation is a reward-driven activity or behavior: for example doing something for the sole purpose of obtaining an external reward.
My motivation around exercise has recently shifted from extrinsic to intrinsic. It wasn’t until I was able to gain clarity around ‘why’ I exercised & ‘how’ I wanted to feel that I was able to shift my perspective and truly approach my movement practice with gratitude & gentleness.
It’s definitely a process, and didn’t happen overnight, but once I got clear on how I wanted to feel it was so much easier & enjoyable to show up for myself each and everyday with a fresh perspective.
Instead of forcing & pressuring myself to move, which left me feeling completely unmotivated, drained & depleted, I began to ask myself ‘how do I want to feel before, during & after I move my body. What is my brain, body & soul craving today?’
Exercise and movement now feels inspiring, fun, fulfilling & grounding. It is now a gift and not a chore!
