Five Questions To Find Your Motivation To Exercise

I’ve been training clients for almost two decades now, and I’ve noticed a pattern. I can get a pretty good idea of who will stick to their workout program and who won’t, based on their answer to one simple question:

“Why do you want to exercise?”

Most people answer with some variation of: I want to lose weight/get healthier/feel better.

Those are perfectly fine reasons, but they’re generic. If that’s someone’s primary motivation and they never dig deeper, they often have trouble sticking to their exercise routine.

A Better Source Of Motivation

Sometimes I hear an answer and I immediately think: “this person is going to be successful”.

The answer is always different, but I know it’s a winner when it’s detailed and personal.

One recent client told me she wanted to work out because she was taking care of her elderly father and finding that the stress was getting to her. She was expending a lot of mental energy caring for him as well as working and being primarily responsible for her household. She was starting to notice herself getting frustrated and impatient. She wanted to use exercise as an outlet to manage her stress and anxiety, and to “fill her own cup”. She thought that if she felt calmer and more centered, she would do a better job taking care of her father. She was right.

Another client had watched a documentary about processed foods and how food companies are engineering their products to get people to buy and eat more, even though it’s leading to all kinds of health problems.  

He got angry about it and decided he didn’t want to be part of that system and let food companies profit from him. He made it his personal mission to rise above the system and do the hard things that would keep him healthy, like cooking at home and exercising. He talked about recognizing this rebellious streak in himself from his childhood. In the past, his disrespect for authority would get him into trouble, but now he felt proud that he was channeling that instinct into something positive.

To be clear, these people may still struggle with motivation. It’s not easy to stick to an exercise program and it’s totally normal to lose motivation sometimes. But this kind of deep understanding of their personal motivation is what helps some people do what it takes, plan ahead, and battle through obstacles.

How To Find Your Unique Exercise Motivation

If you have a hard time getting below the surface and coming up with your own unique exercise motivation, here’s a simple exercise you can do. It’s called “The Five Whys”.

Grab a piece of paper and a pen. You’re going to write down your answers to five questions. Actually, you’re going to write down your answer to the same question five times, digging a little deeper each time.

As you answer this question, remember to be honest, curious, and compassionate with yourself.

The question is: “why?”

Start with “why do you want to exercise?”

Your initial motivation might be “to lose weight”, “to be healthier”, “to have more energy”, etc. That’s your “Why #1”.

Next, ask yourself: “why?”. Why do you want to lose weight or be healthier or have more energy? If you imagine a day where you’ve achieved those goals, what does it feel like? What would you be able to do? 

Maybe you would feel more confident and less insecure.

Write down that answer. That’s Why #2. 

Now, ask yourself again: “why?”. Why is that important to you? What would increased confidence mean to you? Maybe it would allow you to put yourself out there and do things you’ve been avoiding.

Write it down. There’s Why #3. 

Ask again: “why?”. What does your previous answer say about your values. What are the qualities that are most important to you?

For some ideas, look at this values list and identify some that matter to you. Brainstorm how exercise can help you express those values.

When you feel good about yourself, it affects the way you interact with others. If you value service, family, or friendship, you might think about how improving your confidence can help you form deeper relationships and be there for the people you care about.

Why #4 is how your motivation connects with your deep and meaningful values. Write that down. 

One more time: “why?” What does all of this say about the kind of person you are? At this point I want you to consider your personal narratives and your self-identity. We’re really getting into the core of who you are here. This is about considering your history, what you’re proud of about yourself, or who you aspire to be even if you’re not quite there yet.  

It’s these last two “whys” that are really the key. The things we do are an extension of who we are and what we value. When you recognize and leverage that, you’ll find you can do amazing things.

Write a story about yourself that connects your previous “whys”. This is your unique motivation.

For example:

Your motivation to exercise might be to get healthier so you can lead a long and active life. That’s important to you because you value adventure and exploration, and you want to be fit and healthy enough to go on a long trip when you retire so you can see the world and have new experiences. You’re the kind of person who works hard and who’s willing to make sacrifices for the things you care about and believe in, which is why you’ll be able to afford this trip in your retirement after years of dedication to your career. You want to protect your health so you can enjoy the rewards of all that hard work. That same self-identity that drives you to work hard and keep your commitments is what can help you stay consistent with your new exercise routine.  

I recommend taking this motivation and distilling it down to a couple of words that will remind you of your motivation. Write it on a Post It note and put it somewhere you’ll see often. I’ve also had clients record a short video of themselves talking about their motivation story so they can watch it when they need a reminder of why they’re going to the gym.

If You Need Help

To learn more about the science of exercise motivation and how to make tweaks to your exercise program itself that will help you stay motivated, check out my article:

Exercise Motivation: What Is It And How Do You Develop It?

For help with goalsetting, my FREE How To Set Effective Goals eBook walks you through the process of setting goals and creating plans to achieve them. That eBook also has a section on finding motivation.

For personalized help with your health and fitness goals, schedule a FREE consultation to find out about personal training options. I offer face-to-face training and online programming, both of which include motivation and accountability to help you stay on track.