Motivation to Get Your Move On
A medley of motivational practices to support a longevity lifestyle
I’ll venture to say that most of us got quite a bit of exercise in our youth, but as the decades fly by, physical activity lessens considerably.For many people, moving eventually becomes merely getting from point A to point B. While exercise has been an integral part of my life for about 25 years, I see a real aversion if not an outright loathing for it in some friends. They start some sort of exercise program, and over time lose interest or it simply falls by the wayside as life takes priority never to be picked up again.
Nevertheless, as I mention in the Ten Tenets of Ageosophy, the ability to maintain a moveable weight is a proven cornerstone to longevity. With that in mind, I’m always thinking about new ways to motivate myself and to keep movement as an innate part of my longevity lifestyle. In no real order of importance (other than the first one), the following are my current motivational tools that you may find helpful in your journey to live well, age great.
Gratitude: An indispensable tool for life and motivation
First and foremost is something I’ve written about before: motivational gratitude. As it applies to health, acknowledging and appreciating the benefits of being able to move well is an enormous motivating factor.
When I am backing out of the driveway and can twist around with ease to look behind me, I’m grateful for flexibility. As I do a full squat to reach the farthest corner of the bottom cupboard, I’m grateful for a full range of motion. When I lift the ridiculously heavy slow cooker up to the top cabinets, I’m grateful for strength. When I complete a spur-of-the-moment 12-mile hike with my husband and friends, I’m grateful for endurance.
Ultimately, when I reach mid-afternoon without feeling completely worn out, I’m simply grateful to have the level of fitness required for this life.
Backcast goals
I wrote about the impetus 20+ years ago to begin my fitness journey: my desire to be a participant and not a spectator in my son’s life, whom I had at the age of 46. That goal propelled me for many years and now, with Alessio on the cusp of his 16th birthday, I’ve got a whole new set of both short-term and long-term goals that motivate me.
In the short term, my daily quest is to stay strong and healthy for everyday activities… both the ordinary and the ambitious. I know I need to stay in shape so that I can be prepped and ready for our long weekend hikes and other family adventures. My husband, who himself stays motivated by signing up for trail races, is now floating the idea of hiking the 22-mile roundtrip to the summit of Mt. Whitney—the tallest mountain in the contiguous states—in a day. He ran it for his 50th birthday and our son has summited three times! I’m not sure I’m capable, but I’m toying with the idea.
The long-term is a different story. Dr. Peter Attia, who coined the term Centenarian DecathalonTM , calls this “backcasting”: forecasting what you’d like to be able to do at a certain age, and then working backward to understand the shape you’ll need to be in to achieve the goal. I’ve got big plans that include lots of travel, taking grandkids on once-in-a-lifetime adventures. And realizing my life-long dream of driving a Porsche. Considering how low those cars are, I want to be able to make a graceful entrance…I may need to step up my training!
Cultivate an active lifestyle
The more you move, the more you are able to move. The more you are able to move, the more motivated you are to move, and so begins the movement loop. It’s really that simple. Though I realize it’s not always easy, make an intentional decision to weave activity into every corner of your lifestyle.
Perhaps you recall my theory of “a lot of a little, not a little of a lot.” I incorporate a lot of little activities throughout the week, such as choosing the furthest parking spot instead of the closest, parking a block away from the pet store, or walking to the grocery store during lunch to shop for the evening meal.
My husband and I usually take a spin around the neighborhood at some point during the day. We have an ongoing restoration project for our 110-year-old home, which can be very physical. Vacations typically involve a lot of walking, hiking, biking, shimmying, swinging… We have created a lifestyle that depends on movement.
Dress to do
I’ll apologize right now because I’m certain I have a much different point of view than some… I only wear workout attire for exercising. Not grocery shopping or running errands. Not meeting someone for coffee. Not even relaxing at night. I only wear exercise clothes for the specific activity they are intended for. Period.
This is about mindset. I’ll draw a parallel to getting all fancied up for a special event. Your attire puts you into a specific frame of mind and more often than not, you tailor your behavior accordingly. Most mornings I put my workout clothes on first thing right out of bed. This is my cue that I’m going to exercise at some point during the next hour or so. My mind is geared to an activity and motivates me to follow through. Even if something unexpected comes up, I’ll think to myself “shoot, I’ve got my tights on, I better squeeze 15 minutes in…”
And speaking of, while I’m no clothes horse, every once in a while I’ll get a new garment I look forward to putting on—and that, too, helps me to stay motivated. I don’t wear oversized old, hole-riddled t-shirts or clothes that aren’t designed for what I'm doing or that I don’t feel good about wearing. With grippy hiking shoes, I look forward to climbing a trail. Comfortable walking shoes make me want to go walking. Having proper gear is very motivational.
Mix it up
Recently on a podcast, I heard a fitness expert wisely say the best exercise is the one you’ll do. I’ll go a step further and say it’s the ones you enjoy. This has been my secret weapon: I have more than a handful of different modes of exercise I rotate in and out of my weekly routine that keep me inspired.
For instance, for endurance my husband and I walk a couple of miles in our neighborhood, or hike 2-5 miles on a trail close to our son’s school; and once or twice a month we hit the mountains for a long 7–12-mile hike. During the week, if I’m really tight on time, I follow a Leslie Sansone video or a HIIT routine by The Body Coach before I start my day. And oh yes, there are two incredible flights of nearly 100 total stairs in a neighborhood about a mile away that I tackle when I’m feeling really ambitious.
My typical week of strength training could include a pilates class, and two resistance/weight lifting sessions where I utilize resistance bands, kettlebell, a magic ring, dumbbells…a whole combination of things.
Last but not least, in the privacy of my car, I have been known to turn up the music way too loud and dance in my seat (great for the abs, by the way).
Having a wide variety of activities that are also fun not only staves off boredom but it loads the body how we were designed to move—in limitless, challenging ways.
Buddy system
Having someone who is depending on your presence is a great motivator to show up. My husband, Andrea, and I have a standing appointment Wednesday and Friday mornings after school drop-off to hike or walk together. Trust me, there are many times one of us may not feel like going but we are always so, so glad we did.
About 20 years ago when Andrea wanted to resume a running routine, he joined a local running club that met on Wednesday nights and it quickly became a date he rarely missed. It was a terrific weekly motivator and he gained several lifelong friends who encouraged each other to enter trail races and ultra-marathons, setting him on a very healthy path.
Although he isn’t a part of the club anymore, he has carried on the tradition of standing appointments for Friday night trail runs with friends who share his love of the mountains. This fulfills two longevity keys: he’s created a fitness routine that inspires a lifestyle, and he has built his tribe of like-minded kindreds.
A little bit is better than no bit
The trail that Andrea and I hike during the week can take up to an hour and half or even 2 hours if we add in a few variations. But some days we simply can’t spare the time, so we’ve started an abbreviated version that is a two-mile loop in about 40 minutes—allowing us to squeak in our hike and start working at a reasonable time.
At first blush, this seems like a laissez-faire approach that is most definitely not my norm. My husband and friends will laughingly attest that it’s not in my nature to be so flexible and easygoing—in fact, I used to believe that if I couldn’t do it all, it was all for naught. But after a stretch of scheduling conflicts, I had the revelation that I’d rather do something than nothing. This was further bolstered by listening to several trainers who endorsed this line of thinking for their clients: do what you can, when you can.
Now I don’t stress if I only can do the 15-minute video or the truncated hike, trusting that one step will lead to another. Knowing exercise isn’t all or nothing is an unexpected motivator.
Celebrate progress
Surprise: I am not a “wearable” aficionado as much as you might expect. I have had trackers in the past, and I can totally see their value as motivational tools. Andrea, for example, wears a Garmin Fenix 5x to track his conditioning miles (important for ultra-runners) and log our hikes on Strava. I share in his excitement at seeing those green activity bars accumulate daily on the monthly calendar!
Nevertheless, there was a downside for me personally when I wore one of these wonderful products: I got obsessed with the tracking to the point that it was stressful. Additionally, I’m also getting a little suspicious of putting electronic devices on our bodies that send and receive signals hundreds of times a minute. Honestly, I don’t think we will fully know the ramifications of this practice for decades… that’s another story.
Electronics are fun, no doubt about it, but now I use them much more judiciously, to track the big milestones as well as set the baseline for weekly routines. For strength training, I track progress the old-fashioned way, taking note of weight and reps so that I am aware of progression, which is very rewarding and yes, motivating.
An inspirational environment
I have found that surrounding myself with inspirational reading material and experiences is an important piece of the motivational pie. I have a library of podcasts and books that energize me with new ideas and fresh perspective, and while I only look at limited social media, I do love seeing the occasional encouraging quote on my Instagram feed.
Beauty is also inspirational. My creative occupation may make me especially attuned to the visual, but consciously or not, everyone benefits from good aesthetics. From a picturesque natural setting to well-designed-workout gear, I purposefully surround myself with beauty to stay incentivized to move.
Forgive and move forward
As hard as I try and as much as I espouse an active lifestyle, there are some days that are filled to the brim and all I can manage to do is to park my car at the back of the grocery store parking lot. I’ve learned to talk my type-A personality off the ledge, not beat myself up and commit to a better next couple of days. Some days it’s simply not possible to achieve what the experts do… and that’s OK.
Every day, every week is a new beginning and a new chance to get it right. That’s real motivation.
Vai bella Camy, vai!