Can we overcome the excuses of fitness by increasing our motivation?
To do or not to do. It’s all that simple (is it?)
While some of us do regular exercises for a healthy body and a fit mind, some of us insist on not doing such activities. So why is this the case?
The answer lies in neurology and the brain’s reward system: it all depends on an evolutionary mechanism that controls our willingness to work or our risk-taking as the cost of achieving our goals and enjoying perceived rewards. In people suffering from depression, schizophrenia, or Parkinson’s disease, the brain’s reward system is often impaired. The disrupted reward system leads to a decrease in their motivation for any work they will do or chronic fatigue.
Neuroscientists working in this field are investigating the “anatomy” of the reward system to find a way to overcome debilitating behavioural blocks. In this context, they are trying to determine how we evaluate the cost-benefit balance when deciding whether to perform a task. From the National Institute of Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology of Japan, Dr According to Yukiko Hori, mental reactions such as feeling too lazy to act is often a problem in patients with mental disorders such as depression. To find solutions to such mental reactions, Dr. Hori and his team focused on the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA), the signal molecule that plays a central role in regulating motivation and behaviour based on cost-benefit analysis. The researchers observed that decision-making based on perceived benefit and cost tended to favour immediate, smaller rewards over larger, but delayed, rewards in both promoting motivation and increasing delay discounting.
In the context of this research, we can consider our exercise and fitness past or our future.
Due to our biology, we may panic for a short time when entering a new environment or starting a job that will shape our lives. This is a valid process for most of us. In this respect, as stated in the research, giving ourselves small rewards immediately instead of delayed big rewards instantly increases our motivation.
This is how we can get rid of laziness, which is our biggest excuse to start exercising.
On the other hand, some mobile fitness apps created for motivation attract us to get rid of laziness and reach a healthy body. As individuals, staying fit and attractive is among the greatest desires of almost all of us. In terms of evolutionary biology, this is a necessary condition for the existence of our species.
With applications such as Fitlich and STEPN, which I mentioned in my previous article, it is possible to stay fit, live a healthy life, and lead a sporty life. The roads we walk, the exercises we do, and our runs using such applications return us as tokens. STEPN is cited as one of the rising stars of the cryptocurrency market. On the other hand, I expect FBute Token, which is offered to users in exchange for calories burned by the Fitlich app, to make a quick entry into the cryptocurrency market.
Conclusion
We come once in a lifetime. It is in our hands to change our lives within certain measures. By keeping our motivation high, we can achieve a healthy life and a fit mind. We can put our environment in a spiral of change and transformation, starting from ourselves. A motivated individual increases the chances of the birth of a community that is more and more likely to be motivated. All we need for this is to use our will in this direction. As a result, a good beginning is half the battle.
References
This article is an excerpt from| by Pierre Diderot | May, 2022 | Medium
