Motivation and Healthy Habits: Nutrition and Fitness
There are many ways to stay healthy as you age, for example by eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly. Eating healthily and being active is beneficial for so many other reasons too, so please refer to this blog post for advice on how to lose weight and avoid health concerns in your later years. Remember that staying healthy is about more than just the body--the mind can be enhanced by positive mental habits like meditation or yoga, which can help you live longer with less stress and physical harm!
To give you an idea of what we are talking about here, an article from Prevention declared that "yoga may actually slow aging". We know that exercise and nutrition are key factors to longevity, but have you heard of motivation and healthy habits? These two are closely linked. Feeling motivated or inspired to stay healthy can be a factor in a long and happy life, so please read on to learn more about what we mean!
What is motivation?
The word motivation comes from Latin, meaning "to set before", which means that motivation is sometimes described as drawing something (or someone) "before" something else. In this article we will first discuss what the scientific community means by "health habits". We will then review recent research in the field of aging, which states that motivation plays an important role in healthy living.
This research focuses on the fact that people are more likely to stay healthy and live longer if they are motivated to stay healthy. How can we manage our motivation? That is what we will discuss when we move on to the next section, which discusses "healthy habits".
What does it mean to be "motivated"?
Motivation speaks to why we act the way we do. A person who is not motivated may not react well when faced with stress or conflict. For example, a lack of motivation may lead people to spend money instead of saving, and thus they may face financial problems or debts later in life. A lack of motivation may lead people to stay up late or do drugs, and might lead to addiction and health problems.
A person who is motivated has a reason for acting (or not acting) in certain ways. Motivation can also be important for preventing problems that can lead to disease, such as chronic stress or unhappiness. A lack of motivation could contribute to poor health habits, so a lack of motivation means that the person will probably try to improve their health but will probably make some mistakes along the way.
To summarize: We are interested in healthy habits and behaviors as ways that people can improve their health and stay healthy. Motivation is what makes a person think about health and stay healthy.
How does motivation affect health habits?
In a study by Richard Currey and Barbara Graham-Singh (2015), the researchers gave financial incentives to 673 participants who had just signed up for a weight loss program. The participants were asked to keep track of their food intake, weigh themselves, and take their blood pressure daily for six months. They did not know each other at the beginning of the study, or whether they were part of another group that also participated in another weight loss program.
The researchers were surprised to find that a mere $12 in incentives had a much larger effect on the participants' health than they had anticipated. The participants who received incentives weighed 5.5 pounds less than those in a control group and had lower systolic blood pressure by an average of 4 points, and also lowered their diastolic blood pressure by an average of 3 points.
A $12 incentive seems like very little--what does it mean? It was the equivalent of one bagel- a small indulgence. It was apparently enough to make participants take their health more seriously, and it worked!
Staying motivated can be a factor in a long and happy life. In another study, by Richard Mize, participants who were married were reported to be less likely to die of any cause over a six-year period than those who were divorced, single or widowed. This was partly because married individuals seek out social networks that keep them healthier.
Mize also found that people living in rural areas were less likely to die of any cause than those living in urban areas. People in rural areas tend to get out and about more, while people in urban areas may be more sedentary.
What do we mean by "healthy habits"?
A healthy habit is a behavior that has been shown to contribute to a longer and happier life. This includes behaviors like exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, and making sure you get enough sleep each night. Healthy habits are also beneficial because they can reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases that are common as we age--like diabetes or Alzheimer's disease.
To summarize: We are interested in healthy habits as ways that people can improve their health and stay healthy. Motivation is what makes a person think about health and stay healthy.
Why it is important to stay motivated
Researchers have found that motivation can be an important factor for healthy living. For example, when faced with a stressful life situation, people who are more motivated behave in ways that protect their health. This means that motivation can help prevent sickness by adapting to the environment, and by proactively coping with stressors. In other words, motivation can help someone to eat better or exercise more during times of stress.
In a study of 436 people from the United States and Australia, researchers showed that those who were less motivated had increased body mass index and fat in their abdomen. People who were less motivated had higher blood pressure, liver enzymes, cholesterol levels and triglycerides than those who were more motivated.
In a study of more than 13,000 young adults in the United States, those who were more motivated had healthier eating habits. This resulted in lower body weight and blood glucose levels, compared to those who were less motivated.
In a study by Richard Mize (2008), participants who were married were reported to be less likely to die of any cause over a six-year period than those who were divorced, single or widowed. This was partly because married individuals seek out social networks that keep them healthier.
Mize also found that people living in rural areas were less likely to die of any cause than those living in urban areas.
Conclusion
motivation can be a factor in a long and happy life. What causes motivation?
Motivation is related to two things:
The "why" of how we feel about something The "how" of how we are going to respond to that feeling
The "why" is related to our values. It's important to define our values before looking at motivation, so we have an idea of where we want to go with our life.
For example, some people have money as their main value in life, which may be one reason why they are less motivated or more enthusiastic about exercise than people who care more about other things like helping others or having fun.
So let's look at the "how".