Motivation – What motivates people to do something?

What motivates people to want to run a marathon in under three hours, spend two hours in the gym every day, or cycle more than 200 kilometers in one day? What drives people to such top performances? And what stops others from doing EMS training for 20 minutes even once a week?

We at eaglefit ask ourselves exactly these questions, because it is part of our philosophy to motivate people to exercise and to lead a healthy lifestyle. With our EMS training equipment and pull-up bars, we want to help you integrate sport and training into your everyday life. But your attitude, your goals and your motivation are ultimately in your hands. That's why we explain the psychological background of motivation and give you practical tips on how you can increase your motivation.

Motivation, Motives and Volition

Everyone is motivated. Motivation is the " activating orientation of the current life process towards a positively evaluated target state " (Rheinberg, 2004, p.15). Your target state could just as well be a cozy evening in front of the TV if you evaluate this as positive. The evaluation of situations as positive or negative is the key to motivation. This evaluation is based on individual motives, which are relatively constant but can be awakened by new experiences.

For example, a new motive could arise if two of your friends have enthusiastically started EMS training. Maybe you'll try it out to spend time with them. In addition to motives, volition, i.e. willpower, plays a big role. With willpower, you can manage to exercise even without a strong motive and overcome your "inner demons".

But how do you develop willpower and increase your motivation? A good approach is to set goals. You will find out what you need to consider in the next section.

Setting goals = being motivated?

"I want to lose 10 kg in the next 4 months." - such a goal is set quickly, but long-term motivation is often lacking. In order for goals to really motivate, they should have the following characteristics:

• Realistic: Set goals that are achievable. Unrealistic goals often lead to frustration.
• Specific: Instead of "I want to get fitter," you should set measurable goals, such as "I want to reduce my body fat percentage by 5%."
• Short and long term: Long-term goals such as building muscle can be better achieved through smaller milestones.
• Communicate: Write down your goal or share it with friends. This increases commitment.
• To put it positively: Instead of saying “I don’t want to fail,” you should say “I can achieve my goal.”

Overcoming Motivational Holes with Coping Strategies

It's Friday evening, beautiful summer weather, and after a hard day at work, your best friend calls and invites you to a barbecue. But you were supposed to do your weekly sling training today... Of course, your motivation to exercise is waning. And that's just one of many situations that so often serve as excuses for not doing any exercise. Bad weather, stress, family, tiredness or a slight headache - there are many obstacles. But with the right strategy, you can overcome them.

With our sling trainers or EMS training devices, you can train flexibly - whether at home or on the go. Think of a suitable strategy for every possible excuse. For example: "If it rains, I'll do my EMS training at home." With such coping strategies, you stay motivated and achieve your goals.