Your Motivation Genetics and Tips to Improve
Knowing how you are motivated can help you build a fitness plan you can stick with for the long run. It also will help you set goals that you will be able to achieve faster because you have the right motivation for you. There are two different kinds of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.
Extrinsic Motivation Comes from External Sources Such as Praise, Recognition, Material Rewards Like A Trophy or Money
People with extrinsic motivation will struggle if they don’t have a supporting network and will feel discouraged because of criticism, causing them to lose their motivation. If your genetics reveal you’re motivation is extrinsic then one way to keep your motivation going is by figuring out ways to hold yourself accountable.
If you have a friend to workout with you, when you reach a plateau in your fitness journey, it will be easier to keep going instead of giving up. You can also sign up for a class or join a social network with people who are in the same situation as you.
Working out with a trainer to hold you accountable is also a great idea and has many other benefits as well as boosting your motivation. Tracking your progress is also a great idea. Even though it could be discouraging at times, if you are struggling with motivation in the future and look back at how far you have come, it will help recover your motivation.
Someone who has intrinsic motivation genetics doesn’t need much external motivation
They work out because they love how it makes them feel and they want to push themselves to do the best for themselves. Intrinsic motivation is an internal drive for what you want to achieve, not because there are external rewards.
“In one study, researchers collected DNA samples from a group of healthy adult men and women and then observed the group while they performed a 30-minute treadmill workout. After the half hour session was over, the exercisers were told they had completed the session and they could either begin a cool down or could keep going if they wanted. Those with the BDNF gene were more than 2 ½ times more likely to keep going than their peers without it.”
People who are intrinsically motivated stay motivated long term because they genuinely enjoy the activity, so they will continue with their fitness journey when it gets tough but that doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with motivation from time to time. In those instances the best solution is to try new challenges and set new goals more often.
The best results in your fitness journey may come when you find a balance between external and internal motivation
It’s possible for people with extrinsic motivation to become more intrinsically motivated as well as the other way around. This is the beauty of becoming familiar with your genetics. It allows you to create new habits that impact your genetics in a positive way.
So maybe if you’ve always depended on others for motivation you can at some point begin to motivate yourself more and if you’ve only ever relied on your own internal motivation maybe you can begin to ask others for help when things get really tough.
All the pictures in this article are great ways to get started with habits that will boost both but if you need more personalized motivation or want to find out what your genetics say about your motivation be sure to consider a DNA diet and fitness plan that includes testing your genes that impact motivation.
