Motivation: Why do we do what we do?

What motivates people to want to run a marathon in under three hours, to spend two hours in the gym every day, or to cycle more than 200 kilometers in one day? What drives people to such top performances? And what, in turn, stops others from going to the gym for even just 20 minutes once a week. EMS-training?

We at eaglefit We ask ourselves these very questions, because it is part of our philosophy to motivate people to exercise and to lead a healthy lifestyle. With our EMS-training equipment and Pull-up bars We want to help you integrate exercise and training into your everyday life. But your attitude, your goals, and your motivation are ultimately in your hands. That's why we'll explain the psychological background of motivation and give you practical tips on how to increase your motivation.

Motivation, motives and volition

Every person is motivated. Motivation is the “activating orientation of the current life process towards a positively evaluated target state(Rheinberg, 2004, p. 15). Your goal state could just as easily be a cozy evening in front of the TV if you evaluate this as positive. Evaluating situations as positive or negative is the key to motivation. This evaluation is based on individual motives, which are relatively constant but can be awakened by new experiences.

For example, a new motif could arise if two of your friends are enthusiastic about EMS-Training. Maybe you're also trying it out to spend time with them. In addition to motivation, volition, or willpower, plays a major role. With willpower, you can manage to exercise even without a strong motivation and overcome your "inner demons."

But how do you develop willpower and increase your motivation? A good approach is to set goals. You'll learn what you need to keep in mind in the next section.

Setting goals = being motivated?

"I want to lose 10 kg in the next four months." Such a goal is easy to set, but long-term motivation is often lacking. For goals to truly motivate, they should have the following characteristics:

• Realistic: Set goals that are achievable. Unrealistic goals often lead to frustration.
• Specific: Instead of "I want to get fitter," you should set measurable goals, such as "I want to reduce my body fat percentage by 5%."
• Short and long term: Long-term goals such as muscle building are easier to achieve through smaller milestones.
• Communicates: Write down your goal or share it with friends. This increases commitment.
• To put it positively: Instead of “I don’t want to fail,” say “I can achieve my goal.”

Overcoming motivational gaps with coping strategies

It's Friday evening, beautiful summer weather, and after a hard day at work, your best friend calls and invites you over for a barbecue. But you were supposed to do your weekly sling training today... Naturally, your motivation to exercise is dwindling. And that's just one of many situations that often serve as excuses for not exercising. Bad weather, stress, family, fatigue, or a slight headache – there are many obstacles.But with the right strategy you can overcome them.

With our Sling-Trainern or EMS-training equipment You can train flexibly – whether at home or on the go. Think of a suitable strategy for every possible excuse. For example: "If it rains, I'll do my EMS-Training at home.” With such coping strategies, you stay motivated and achieve your goals.