Sports Motivation: What it Is, What it is For, and How to Increase it

Like all motivation, sports motivation refers to a force that drives us and directs us towards a goal and maintains us despite the difficulties that may arise; In this specific case the goal will be to exercise.

We know that playing sports is good for keeping us healthy not only physically but also mentally, since it helps us disconnect, stop thinking about our worries, at the same time that we exercise our body, improving our physical fitness.

It is important to choose the practice that you like the most and the one that motivates you the most to persist in the goal of playing sports and not end up abandoning this habit.

In this article you will know what sports motivation is what variables influence it and what strategies can be useful to increase it.

What is sports motivation?

Motivation is defined as the impulse, the internal force, that moves the individual to achieve an objective That is, it has the function of activating, maintaining stability and directing behavior towards a goal, it allows us to persist in an action even if it costs us, since we know that the result will compensate us.

On the other hand, we know that playing sports is one of the most recommended activities to achieve and maintain good physical condition and stay healthy. Establish a good exercise routine It prevents possible diseases in the subject, especially those linked to weight problems. Thus, doing sports is a good reason to pay attention.

In this way, sports motivation refers to the activation and persistence of a behavior guided to achieve an end linked to sport. Even if it is difficult for the subject and the path is hard, the final result rewards all the effort.

The motivation of each athlete may be different, since some will enjoy and feel satisfaction from the simple fact of playing sports (this is intrinsic motivation) and other subjects will present goals not so related to enjoying sports, such as achieving the goal of losing weight (This motivation is known as extrinsic and is more linked to the rewards that playing sports can have).

Thus, the motivation that moves you to exercise is a key and fundamental element to carry out such an activity and this is very varied and different depending on the subject. Differences have been observed between individuals who engage in high-level sports, who do it professionally, compared to people who do it to stay healthy or between individuals of different ages. In the same way, This force that moves us and the goals we set also change throughout life

Below we quote some strategies or tips to help you increase or find your motivation to do physical exercise.

How to improve sports motivation

As we have already seen, each subject has their own motivation to play sports and although there are similar reasons, the distinctive characteristics of each individual also make them different, not being completely the same. It is important that you find your motivation, since it will be the only one that will allow you to overcome difficulties the days you don’t feel like training, to achieve the desired goal.

1. Visualize the objectives

Motivation drives us towards a goal, so it is important that we set a goal that we want to reach. This will be different depending on your purpose; For example, we can visualize our physique in the future or the achievements in a competition that we can achieve if we continue training. Imagine what would really make you happy and what you really feel moves you.

It has also been seen that this technique does not work equally well in all subjects, There are those who are better off visualizing the opposite consequence that is, the negative state that would be reached if we continue the same and do not train, imagine the terrible results that can occur such as health problems and diseases.

2. Set short-term goals

Since the path is not easy, it helps to set short-term goals that keep us motivated to reach the final goal. Set goals that are more attainable and that you can overcome relatively quickly since they will be the ones that encourage you to continue fighting and playing sports.

When we are tired and prefer to stay lying on the couch or we have had a hard day at work, it will be the small goals that move us, for example thinking about how we will feel after playing sports that day, how good we will feel about ourselves. same. Likewise, exercising even if it leaves you tired later generates a feeling of energy in you and of feeling better physically, at the same time that it helps you disconnect from your worries and thus reduce stress.

It has been proven that sport increases the amount of endorphins in the body, a hormone that is linked to a feeling of well-being and decreased pain. This purpose can be a good reason in the short term.

3. Set a training routine

In the same way that we have seen that visualizing, that is, representing the reason internally, is useful to stay strong, it is also functional and necessary to consider the mode of action and set it beforehand

In other words, it can benefit us to establish and specify what we are going to do and what our performance is going to be, what day we are going to train, what exercises we are going to do, how long each training session is going to last…

If we create a routine and know what we should do each day, it will be easier to stay motivated and not give up when we are tired. It’s another way to set small goals that keep you motivated in the short term.

4. Be realistic

Try to set goals that are possible, especially those that you establish in the short term, since if the goals are unrealistic and you cannot meet them, this may frustrate you and make you stop trying. They should be goals that you can achieve so that you feel rewarded.

For example, if you plan a very intense daily routine, it is likely that after you have been doing it for a few days you will no longer be able to do it anymore and your body will not allow you to continue. Likewise, it is recommended to start progressively, to avoid feeling very tired and thus little by little improve and establish new goals. This way we can improve, for this reason it is better to start little by little.

5. Allow yourself to rest

Linked to the previous point, we must be realistic and, therefore, we have to allow ourselves to rest, since It is not only that it is necessary for our body, but at the same time it gives us more strength to be able to continue

It is wrong to think that we will achieve our goals easier and faster if we do not rest, it is most likely that our body will not be able to endure and the recovery will be much worse, it may even be that if we unduly force injured terms and, therefore, we will have to stop for longer.

Everyone needs to rest, even professional athletes do it, since it is part of training, being key to achieving our goal.

• You may be interested: “6 easy relaxation techniques to combat stress”

6. Find what motivates you

As we have already said, not everyone has the same purpose or the same motivations. In the same way, not all of us like or work the same exercises, find which sport practice is the one that attracts you the most: individual sport, in a group, outdoors, in the pool… There is a great variety that adapts to preferences. from each person.

It is important to find what we like, since this way it will be easier to persist and it is more likely that on days when we are less motivated we will not throw in the towel.

7. Modify the exercises

Before we have talked about how advisable it can be to establish a routine, but this does not mean that we always do the same exercises, it is good to vary, not only so as not to get bored, but also to work other parts of the body or do it in a different way. There are many ways to exercise, for example we can do strength exercises without using any material or with weight.

So that, Depending on your progression you will also see what you should enhance and which parts need more training being able to adapt your routine to these objectives to improve.

• Related article: “Personal Development: 5 reasons for self-reflection”

8. Sign up for guided classes

Signing up for guided classes or playing sports where the schedule is already established can benefit us. Especially at the beginning, when we are not yet in shape or we have not established playing sports as a routine.

Doing it freely may not be the best option, since it is easier for us not to do it when we feel listless. On the contrary, if we have a prior “commitment” to an activity, it will encourage us to attend it.

9. Be aware of your progress

Sometimes it is difficult for us to see our progress and we only focus on improving and achieving new goals, without valuing or rewarding ourselves for the goals we have already achieved. Notice how you have improved and be proud of the goals achieved, since being aware of progress will also help you stay motivated and persist in your goals.