The sine wave of motivation
Sounds familiar? For several months you have managed to meet your goals, but over time something began to change – the results came to a halt and the desire to train diminished. Or is it the other way round – you still notice progress, but it no longer gives you as much satisfaction as it used to? Such situations are perfectly normal. The graph of the average human motivation is not a horizontal line or an upward-rising arrow – it is more like a sine wave.
But does that mean you should sit back and wait for the curve to start going up again on its own? Absolutely not! Especially since the solution is extremely simple. All you have to do is diversify your activity. How? Read on to find out!
Ways to add variety to training
- Find a new discipline
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that can be described as a “pleasure generator”. But that is not its only advantage. The substance also has a motivating effect on the repetition of certain behaviours [1]. So if you want to be enthusiastic about exercise, it is worth betting on something that will stimulate its secretion. Taking on challenges and learning new things will help [1]. Trying out a brand new sport can therefore not only diversify your activity or build other muscle parts, but also awaken dormant motivation.
- Change what you know
Remember that the brain engages more readily if a certain activity is associated with pleasant sensations [2]. If you already have your “ideal” discipline that you love and enjoy, abandoning it will not improve your mood. Therefore, try to “boost” what you know. For example, if you have been running on asphalt for years, try your hand at trail running; or if you like cycling, use the spinning bike at the gym.
- Set new goals
The goal itself can change the way you train. Examples? It is completely different to train for a marathon and for a 5 km run. The training plan, the length of the runs and many other elements change. Such variety can make motivation come back with a vengeance. If you don’t have an idea for your own new goals, you can take advantage of initiatives such as MultiSport Summer Game.
All you need is an active MultiSport card. Your goal is to accumulate as many credits as possible and, as a result, win valuable prizes. You can redeem credits for vouchers to popular shops and apps, which further motivates you to play. How can you earn credits? First of all, by using various sports facilities. In the process, you can learn new disciplines and discover places where you haven’t had a chance to exercise before.
- Invite your friends
If you exercise alone, it’s a good idea to diversify at least part of your workouts by inviting another person or joining a group. This method is ideal for situations where you can maintain a conversational pace (such as on long runs or marches with poles). The presence of another person not only adds variety to the activity, but also helps you exercise correctly (e.g. when you run at a certain pace, a friend can ride beside you on the bike and measure it in real time), motivates you to leave the house (it is harder to say no when the team is waiting), and increases the level of safety (e.g. in case of injury during a trail run).
- Change location
It is also worth discovering a new fitness club, swimming pool or gym. There may be other equipment and activities waiting for you, as well as instructors who will make even the activities you know well more interesting. The MultiSport Summer Game allows you to earn credits for visiting different facilities – this could be something for you!
Remember to reward yourself!
The prospect of reward is an extremely powerful motivator. Research shows that it affects learning and supports decision-making and sensory-somatic processes [3]. So if you reward yourself wisely for your training, you may find that you enjoy continuing it, or you may get into a new discipline more quickly.
What does it mean to reward yourself wisely? The idea is to associate healthy elements with reward (and therefore – with pleasure). These can include items and activities completely unrelated to sports! When creating the Summer Game, we made sure that the prizes fit well with a healthy lifestyle, but were also attractive enough to motivate participants to be active.
If you are curious about this way to add variety to training, learn about its rules:
- Make sure you have an active MultiSport card, or order one from your employer.
- Register on a special platform from 5 June 2024.
- For 11 weeks, collect credits for visits to various sports facilities (with MultiSport card or app).
- Earn credits for additional activities, such as inviting friends to join, reading articles or solving quizzes.
- Redeem your credits for vouchers to online shops or donate them to charity. It won’t affect your place in the ranking, and it will allow you to have even more fun!
- Earn as many credits as possible and get valuable prizes (Thermomix TM6, sports watch or JBL headphones and sports towels).
The MultiSport Summer Game 2024 – starting on 5 June!
Motivation is like success – you will build it with systematic work, not with dreams that it will eventually come on its own. And if you manage to have fun in the process, all the better for your physical health and overall well-being. Good luck!
References:
[1] https://instytut-mikroekologii.pl/neuroprzekazniki-i-naturalne-sposoby-na-podniesienie-ich-poziomu/
[2] https://jaksieuczyc.pl/jak-uczy-sie-mozg/
[3] https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/31076-rewards-and-dopamine-affect-sensory-learning-study-shows/pl