Build Exercise Motivation With Workout Intentions

In my personal training sessions, I ask clients to set an “intention” at the beginning of each workout.

That intention is a short-term goal for that workout. It can be whatever the person wants to achieve in that session: setting a new personal best, doing one more rep than last time on a particular exercise, relieving stress, getting out of the office for an hour, feeling energized, prioritizing themselves…

The key is that it’s something immediate that they can achieve within that workout, as opposed to a longer-term goal.

The client writes down their intention on a white board during their warm up. At the end of the session, if they’ve achieved that intention, they make a big check mark next to it. It’s a simple but powerful strategy.

From Personal Training Session To Brain Training Session

I once watched a video of psychologist Dr. Russel Barkley talking about the way the brain of someone with ADHD works – how certain brain areas have trouble communicating with each other and how that leads to difficulty achieving goals.

He said that people with ADHD know what they need to do, but they struggle to follow through and turn that knowledge into action. He used the term “Intention Deficit Disorder” to describe it.

I think difficulty turning intentions into actions is a problem for a lot of people when it comes to exercise. Many of us, whether we suffer from ADHD, depression, anxiety, high stress, or just the everyday challenges of modern life, have trouble consistently taking action towards our goals, even when we really want to do the right thing.

If you want to use exercise to improve your mental health, I can help. Click Here for my article on the mental health benefits of strength training, and check out my Strength Training For Anxiety Program for a specially designed, 12-week guided workout program. This program will help you build physical strength as well as mental resilience, and change the way you think about yourself.

As Dr. Barkley described, this comes down to a disconnect in the neural circuits between the part of our brain that’s responsible for higher level thinking (setting goals) and the part that directs our actions.

There are a lot of strategies that can help to bridge that gap, including my pre-workout intention-setting exercise.

Intention Setting As An Opportunity To Create Positive Neural Connections

Every time we decide we’re going to do something and then we do it successfully, the neural pathways in our brains get stronger. The part of our brain that's responsible for our conscious decision-making becomes more strongly linked with our reward center.

This is incredibly important for building sustainable habits and healthy motivation.

Unfortunately, many people don’t get enough of those successful experiences.

Maybe you can relate to this. Maybe you’ve set yourself a goal before and you’ve failed. That would shake your confidence and weaken those important neural connections. Luckily, you can build them up again.

The beauty of this intention-setting exercise is that it sets you up for success. You decide at the beginning of the workout exactly what you intend to achieve, and within 60 minutes you’ve done it.

Then you get to go to the board and check it off. That feeling is so satisfying – it creates a nice dopamine release in the emotion center of your brain. It feels good, and you’ll feel motivated to create that feeling of success again.

Small Successes Create Big Opportunities For Growth

Once you create these brain connections, you’ll build the confidence and motivation to tackle even bigger goals and actions.

You start to feel like a winner – like someone who is capable of setting goals and achieving them. Like someone who does what they say they’re going to do. With that sense of self-belief, you can do anything. The sky is the limit!

I encourage you to use this strategy in your workouts and in any healthy habit that you’re trying to build. Every time you decide to go for a walk, set an intention for it. Maybe you'll walk 1 minute longer or spend 30 minutes clearing your head. Every time you sit down for a meal, set an intention. Maybe you'll eat a vegetable, or nourish your body, or eat slowly and savor your food.

Afterwards, acknowledge and celebrate what you’ve just achieved, no matter how small it seems. It will make a big difference, and your brain will remember.

Contact me to find out more about my personal training programs!

As a personal trainer with a focus on strength training for mental health, I design my fitness programs specifically to help people get the brain-boosting effects of exercise. I would love to help you experience those incredible benefits. Contact me for a free consultation!