Why your summer project might not be working?

This text was written by a TecMundo columnist; Learn more at the end.

The last months of the year are marked by an increase in demand for body transformation methods. The possible exposure effect of our body in summer even has a name: summer project.

During this period, people’s intense efforts to change their behavior, including physical exercise, to improve their bodies and become healthier are noteworthy. However, many of us are frustrated by the difficulty of the process. Science shows fundamental errors and possible paths for change.

Start with a project but change it permanently

It’s okay to start changing behavior on a special date, like a new year’s eve, a birthday, or the start of summer, it can work, and scientists call it the “fresh start effect.” It is a human tendency to consider making changes to important dates.

“This moment when we start over, forgetting our previous failures and feeling like different people, provides us with a kind of psychological relief.”

Therefore, summer or New Year may be a start, but it is important to maintain the change, that is, to change the lifestyle permanently. In order for exercise to be beneficial, it must be practiced constantly, along with a healthy diet.

The clue is simple: There is no radicalism that cannot be sustained. Balance is key through progressive and gradual changes.

Beware of “will”

In daily life, we overestimate the potential of our willpower. We believe that we will be able to make decisions for our health in the future, but this is not always done. In fact, we succumb so much to the momentary temptations present around us because we exhaust our self-control (the scientific name for willpower) throughout the day.

This type of wear and tear is known as ego depletion and makes our daily decisions worse. In practice, it is difficult to decide to go to the gym after a long day at work when you can just lie on the couch watching TV series or spend time on social media on your mobile phone.

Some measures such as relaxation and implementation of intentions are suggested to solve this problem. To temper self-control, we can adopt “if-then” planning in the sense of “if this happens, I will do this.”

It’s a plan to save money on self-control, but it works better if we get specific like this: “If it rains today, instead of running outside, I’ll take the bus after work and go straight to the gym to run on the treadmill.” Have plans: A, B and even C.

Changing your expectations from training

We need to change our mindset towards exercise as we fall victim to existing bias, choosing to do things that are rewarding in the moment rather than things that will bring rewards in the future. Distant goals like health, hypertrophy, and weight loss don’t motivate us in the here and now.

Therefore, try to visualize what you will gain during and immediately after a single physical exercise session. If you pay attention, you can notice many immediate gains: distraction, well-being, improved mood, pleasure, socialization and entertainment are the benefits obtained when practicing, but after exercising we are also rewarded with a feeling of relaxation, pleasure, energy. greater focus and concentration.

These are the awards This can change our relationship with exercise: from feeling like we need to do it to wanting to do it.

Originality in modality

Although fashion and trends dominate the fitness universe and we are naturally influenced by them, it is necessary to uniquely match our individual preferences and needs with an exercise or sports fashion due to the need for universal social acceptance.

Understand if you prefer If more repetitive exercises or variations are important to you, such as running, swimming or weight training.

In this case, CrossFit, Yoga and Pilates may be options. Team sports are practices that combine fun, distraction and belonging to a group, as well as competition. One of the advantages of the growth of the fitness market is the variety of exercise methods, so try it and enjoy.

Ripens quickly, rots quickly

Despite the desire to get in shape in a short time, increase strength and endurance, results often take time, hence patience. When a novice practitioner adopts high or maximum exercise intensities, he or she may react negatively in physical and emotional areas, feeling dissatisfaction and excessive delayed onset muscle soreness.

Aspects that are enemies of commitment. Consistency is more important than intensity in your physical exercise journey.

Suspension

When faced with the problem of postponing exercise, scientist Katherine Milkman found a solution: watching TV series (enjoyable activity) only while exercising (valuable activity). Milkman called this seduction grouping and tested the strategy scientifically; It showed that exercise increased in those who grouped what we wanted to do with what we needed to do. You watch Netflix while cycling at home or on the treadmill at the gym.

Fixed or variable exercise routine

It is recommended that we always exercise at the same time or hour of the day with the idea of ​​creating a habit. However, current science does not confirm this hypothesis. Flexibility seems to be the enemy of repetitive behavior; Something very important for creating and strengthening habits.

If we only do something in the perfect environment and conditions, we become maladaptive. Considering the environment provided by today’s world, it is necessary to have the ability to change regardless of the time of day and period. Find what works with your routine.

Tips for a summer project that results in a permanent lifestyle change can be summarized as follows: making plans for possible weakening of willpower, feeling the immediate results of exercise, overcoming procrastination, Instead of following generic tips or radicalism on social media, choose an authentic exercise method and adopt a routine that works best for you..

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Fábio Dominski He holds a PhD in Human Movement Sciences and a degree in Physical Education from Santa Catarina State University (UDESC). He is a university professor and researcher at the Laboratory of Sport and Exercise Psychology (LAPE/UDESC). he does scientific dissemination on social media and in podcast available on Spotify. Author of Physical Exercise and Science – Facts and Myths.