Some of us choose to remain silent. After all, shortness of breath when climbing stairs and excess body weight are difficult subjects to bring up. Delicate subjects to say the least. And topics that many people are touchy about.
Let’s look at it from a different point of view – if the same person had been coughing for a week, complaining about a runny nose and fever, would we have kept quiet? Wouldn’t we advise them to see a doctor, stay in bed and take the right medication? Exactly.
“Sport is health” may be too general and a bit exaggerated, but there is a lot of truth in it. Physical activity, proper body weight and an appropriate diet are the guardians of health and well-being. Motivating someone to “get off the couch” can therefore be compared in a sense to suggesting a doctor visit when a cold does not let up. It’s just that you actually have to do it much more delicately. Even more so because, as blogger and statistician Janina Bąk repeats, “no one has ever learned something because they were humiliated.”
So what can you do to help your loved ones get back in shape?
One approach takes a page from... good advertisement campaigns. After all, in a sense, we need to hype up a new lifestyle. Developing an advertising campaign requires a long search for so-called insights – messages that can persuade the target audience. This is often the most difficult stage, because the recipient may be someone with completely different needs and experiences than the creator. So what do agencies do? They study the target group, ask specific questions and then determine the message.
This should also be our approach – start with “research”. Ask questions about their health, activity and well-being. In an informal way, as part of normal everyday conversation. It may turn out that, for example, the reluctance to exercise lies in the psyche and our loved one first needs therapy and then a gym membership.
The key here is to discover and put the needs of the other person before your own. Otherwise, even if you drag them onto the treadmill, because you love running ourselves, it won’t work in the long run.
Our advice – find out why your loved one isn’t active and discover what they really need. Maybe it’s an issue of feeling shame during group exercise, or finding the right group to exercise with. The causes may also lie in mental health, in which case that’s the place to start, or perhaps it’s a lack of time and simple rearranging family responsibilities will do the trick. Don’t assume that what works for you – your favourite sport or motivational motto – will work for someone else. First listen, then advise.
Motivate with empathy
Remember that people like to make their own decisions – so hints are better than force. You can also use the best possible technique: “Don’t tell. Show.” – modelling the effects of a healthy diet and properly selected exercises, becoming a shining example. For example, you can offer them “lean” meals, talk about the effects of exercise or simply share your endorphin-fuelled joy.
Some, in turn, have rivalry in their blood and are only motivated by specific challenges. We know how some people react to the famous phrase “I bet you can’t do it.” Of course, this shouldn’t be exaggerated and challenge shouldn’t be confused with comparison. There’s a reason why memes of “your mother’s friend’s son” are so popular – the perfect child who has everything in life and to whom we should aspire. Obviously, ideals do not exist and the pressure to compare with others can only harm. But even monthly or annual challenges, in which we compare our own results, is a pretty good option.
Our advice – show a loved one how pleasant exercise can be and how beneficial a healthy diet is without imposing anything. Let them choose their own form of activity and the way they want to get back in shape. If you know that they are motivated by challenges, find something interesting to do together, but don’t let anyone close to you compare themselves with others, such as celebrities. Let them work at their own pace.
How do you keep motivation high? Play in a team!
Let’s assume that you have already identified why your loved one isn’t active and encouraged them to make a change. What comes next? How do you keep that spark from going out? The answer is simple: turn a lone fight into a team sport. Try to support that person at every stage of their struggle to get back into shape. Remember to pay compliments and celebrate small victories. And always set a good example. It is difficult to persevere on a diet when everyone around is indulging, so it might be helpful to give up certain delicacies for a while yourself, especially when eating meals together. This can also create a motivational domino effect on the whole family or a group of friends.
Our advice – together is better, so the best way to motivate is to show someone that they are not alone. It can also be helpful to simply say: “You are not alone. I am with you.” It’s the little things that work miracles. Also remember to praise successes, even if they are not impressive, because they are still hard-won. In the end, happiness consists of small things!
And finally, a little reminder.
Why should you motivate your loved ones to be fit?
This isn’t just a question of aesthetics – being out of shape is not about attractive curves, but a real threat to health.
Excess body weight can cause:
- Cardiac problems and diseases associated with high blood pressure
- Type II diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance
- Increased susceptibility to various cancers
- Joint problems that lead to degeneration
- Gynaecological problems, menstrual cycle disorders
- Difficulty breathing
- Mood disorders
Keep all these risks in the back of your mind, but remember that movement is also the best way to improve well-being and spend leisure time with family or friends. By motivating your loved ones to be fit, you also benefit from the opportunity to enjoy shared successes and a longer, more active life.