‘How this one change helped me go from 0 to 6 workouts per week'
What if we told you there was a silver bullet for exercise motivation? Well, TikTokker Sammy Jo believes so. As a mum-of-two with two jobs, Sammy says she went from never exercising at all to working out six times a week, thanks to one simple change: her mindset.
Speaking in a recent TikTok video, she explained: ‘You have to change your mindset.
‘One time I went out with some friends to a concert, we were all partying kind of late. When they were dropping me off, they were like, “Are you going to go work out tomorrow?” and I said, “Yeah.”
‘And they go, “I can't believe you're gonna go work out, like how are you going to want to do that?” and I said it's not that I want to, it's that I have to. It's not a choice.
‘You have to change in your brain, the idea that working out is a choice. It's not. It's your job. Do I wake up in the morning and think, “I don't wanna go to work” sometimes? Sure. Do I still go? Absolutely, because it's my job. I can't not go.’
She went on to compare exercising to working, adding that the ‘only difference’ is the currency you’re paid in.
‘When you work out, you get paid in a life full of mobility, freedom to go where you want, when you want... I could go on and on the list of health benefits for working out,’ she said.
Changing her perception of exercise means Sammy now wakes up at 4.30am every morning to work out, but is it as easy as it sounds?
How to change your exercise mindset
Sports and performance psychologist Charlotte Ricca says that while it might take a while, it is possible to change your mindset:
'While genetics play a crucial role in shaping our mindset, personal change is possible. According to research, 50% of your personality traits are down to your genetics, 15% are due to environmental factors, and 35% are determined by the choices you make. This means by consistently making good choices, you can train your brain to adopt new habits.
'Research shows it can take around 10 weeks for new habits to be formed, but you need to be motivated to increase your motivation. And this all starts with knowing your why. For Sammy Jo, her ‘why’ is good health. That’s what gets her up at 4.30am each morning.
'When we do things that align with our values, it supplies our brain with dopamine. This is what makes you feel good, and so new habits are created, because you know it will make you feel good afterwards. It’s no longer a choice, it’s a daily habit.
As for how to implement this type of habit into your own life, Charlotte says that by exercising routinely and feeling the benefits from it, your brain starts to create a positive association to working out.
'When you practise a new habit, such as exercising regularly, the part of your brain associated with motivation (the nucleus accumbens) helps reinforce the learning process by strengthening synaptic connections related to that behaviour. Over time, these reinforced pathways make the new habit more automatic and ingrained in your daily routine.
'This neurological loop was popularised by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Charles Duhigg, who coined 'the habit loop' in his 2012 book The Power of Habit. He says creating habits consists of three key components.
3 components for creating habits
1. Cue
The habit loop starts with a cue that prompts the brain to initiate a behaviour. This could be your morning alarm or trainers by the bed. You get up, you get your trainers on. This cue triggers the release of neurotransmitters which activate specific brain regions, which plays a crucial role in motor control and habit learning.
2. Routine
The behaviour or action (like going for a run or going to the gym) that follows the cue then strengthens neural pathways associated with the behaviour.
3. Reward
The brain experiences a surge of dopamine, which reinforces the habit and creates a positive association with the behaviour.
Why motivation matters
But Charlotte is keen to clarify this will only work if you're driven by intrinsic motivations, like feeling good physically or mentally, as opposed to external motivations, like social media likes:
'The potential downfall to a ‘no choice’ approach like Sammy's is that it could create resistance in the long run, if your only motivation is extrinsic. This is where you are chasing external rewards – such as likes on social media, recognition from friends or peers – or avoiding negative consequences, such as putting on weight. You are much more likely to stick to a new routine if you are intrinsically motivated. This is when we are driven by internal rewards, such as feeling healthier or improving our mental health. It’s things that matter, internally to us.
'Research suggests that intrinsic motivation is linked to steady dopamine release, fostering sustained engagement in activities – even in the absence of immediate external rewards. Unlike this type of long-term feel-good energy, extrinsic rewards will likely only drive short-term rewards, and fail to sustain long-term motivation.'
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