The Factors That Influence Whether You Workout Or Not

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ECONOMIC PRINCIPLE: People (usually) respond to incentives in predictable ways.

THESIS: People’s response to incentives are affected by costs and benefits, and according to my research, an individual’s decision to workout is influenced by warm-ups, workout clothes, working out alone or in a group, and the possible risks to working out.

SYNTHESIS PARAGRAPH: Throughout my research for my blog posts I was able to learn about the factors that influence an individual’s decision to workout or not. For some people these factors increase the likelihood that a person will work out, and for other people will decrease the chances that they work out. The article, The Psychological Effects of a Pre-workout Warm-up: An Exploratory Study, states that whether or not you decide to do a warm-up before exercising will affect how likely you are to continue working out. People who warm-up before exercising report a more positive experience with working out and associate working out with positive rewards; that is why people who warm-up will be more motivated to workout. Since working out is supposed to be a lifelong activity, that is why young children are taught to warm up before workouts to increase their interest level in working out. From the article, Psychology of Lululemon: How Fashion Affects Fitness, it states how wearing workout clothes throughout your day can make you more motivated to workout. This is an example of  “enclothed clothing” (a term that researchers use to describe the mental changes people undergo when they wear a certain type of clothing) because people who wear workout clothes regularly tend to workout more. According to the article Should You Work Out Alone or With a Group?, people who workout alone receive mental health benefits that cannot be achieved when working out in a group. So people choose to workout either in a group or alone depending on the benefits they intend to receive from working out. If someone wants to push themselves harder, then attending a workout class will motivate them to keep up with the class, but if someone is self-conscious and inexperienced then working out with others will  make them associate working out with negative feelings. There are so many possible costs and benefits that people weigh when deciding to workout or not, and for many people the benefits of working out are a big enough incentive to over exercise. Although some people may think exercising all the time is only doing their body good, the article Top 10 Reasons Exercise Is Bad For You, proves that an exercise obsession is bad for someone who is overly motivated. This source also reveals that exercise can increase appetite for cravings, cause premature aging and destroy familial relationships. These costs of working out occur because an exerciser overly focuses on a certain incentive of working out. Ultimately, individuals who workout stay either motivated or demotivated by these incentives.

The Risks of Working Out

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Contrary to popular belief, working out is not always a good thing for you. Although working out  provides many health benefits, people should be aware of the short and long term effects of working out to prevent them. Fitness writer, Ben Greenfield, wrote his article Top 10 Reasons Exercise Is Bad For You in 2011 for Greenfield Fitness Systems. The author has an impressive education in exercise and diet, and his fitness book is a New York Times Best-Seller making him a credible source. The author’s overall claim is that intense working out can cause long-term health problems, ruin relationships, and skew the idea of a healthy lifestyle for someone.

Many kids are young and active and are too focused on their athletic goals to let the worries of athletic health problems get in the way of their athleticism. When kids start extreme exercising early in life, they set themselves up for exercise problems early. For example, “ regular exercisers, and especially for bodybuilders, triathletes, cyclists or marathoners, reducing or stopping exercise suddenly – or even missing one single workout – can result in depression, stress and anxiety.” I know some people who are overly obsessed with counting steps (thanks to the Fitbit) and will just walk around in circles so they can reach 10,000 steps for the day. This exercise obsession has a way of ruining friendships if a person is more worried about being active than their relationship. Exercise obsessions can cause marriages to end because “couples become increasingly conflicted as a spouse becomes obsessed with a particular exercise goal, such as extreme weight loss or an Ironman triathlon”  that takes a lot of time training for, time that would have been spent with their spouse. The opportunity cost of exercise is time and/or money, so for a family the costs of exercising can be detrimental.

Exercising can become addictive for people, especially endurance athletes, this is because during exercise the body releases endorphins which reduce stress and anxiety, and even have the effect of blocking pain. People get addicted to the feeling they have after exercising and the results they see, so that is why “you’ll often see endurance athletes trying to push through and continue their chronic repetitive motion training no matter what, often to the continued detriment and breakdown of the body’s worn and tired joints.” Although endorphins may be blocking the pain that you feel in the moment, you are setting yourself up to not be able to handle light exercise when you are older. It is hard for us to see how we exercise directly affects our body,so it is important to keep in mind that “the cartilage has a finite number of shock absorptions, and once you’ve reached your quota, your body begins to fail.” This is not to say that exercise is bad for you, but like anything you need to exercise in moderation and switch up your workouts so you are not stressing any part of your body too much. You also need to realize when to skip or tone down a workout because “if the intensity and frequency of the stress becomes too great, then the adrenal glands can begin to become exhausted, and the hormones that they produce can become depleted” causing inability to respond to physical or emotional stress.

Another habit that kids can develop in their lives is unhealthy eating habits as a result working out. For example swimmers who burn more calories than they take in are loaded up with carbs and sugar during their swimming season, but oftentimes these athletes carry on these habits into the off season and unhealthy eating sticks with them throughout their lives. A large caloric intake beyond exercise results in “constantly surging blood sugar levels cause sugar addiction and damage to blood vessels and nerves but they vastly increase risk for Type II diabetes.” For many people it is hard to go from eating a lot of food high in calories to healthy meals, and that is why washed up athletes gain weight after ending their athletic career because they are so used to burning calories and needing to eat a lot of food. Conversely, people trying to exercise more and eat less to lose weight quickly are going to end up failing. If you start exercising more, you need to fuel your body with more food because “heavy exercise volume causes food cravings that make it impossible to adjust to a healthy diet.” It is hard to start exercising more and go on a diet at the same time because the more you exercise the more food you need to help repair your muscles for growth. Exercising creates some complications that are hard to realize until they happen to you, so hopefully after reading this you feel more educated and ready to workout in a way that works out best for you!

Future Research:

• How can working out improve procrastination?

Strength in Numbers

Source: www.xperiencefitnessblog.com

You have heard the saying “strength in numbers” before, so can the more people you workout with actually increase your strength? The answer is hard to determine because there are many factors that go into having a successful workout and they are different for everyone. People workout for both their physical and mental health. This post will go into the depths of group versus solo workouts. 

Men and Women’s Health writer, Markham Heid, wrote the article Should You Work Out Alone or With a Group? in 2015 for the Fitness section of Shape Magazine, which entails articles about diet, fitness and beauty. The overall argument is that group workouts are more effective because you are motivated by those around you, this is especially true for outgoing people who want to build their energy. But on the contrary, working out alone is also very beneficial because it yields mental benefits that do not happen in a group workout.

We were all taught in required P.E classes that the “goal is to maximize both the psychological and physical benefits of exercise” when working out. But as we get older, it becomes harder to stay motivated to workout and more expensive since high school gym is the last time you will be expected to workout due to state laws. That is why having a likeness towards working out whether it be alone or with a group must be developed so that you can continue working out. Also, a good support group (friends, classes, your own motivation) can help too.

Group workouts, for many people have proved to be a successful way to staying motivated, “95% of those who started a weight-loss program with friends completed the program, compared to a 76% completion rate for those who tackled the program alone.” Individuals within a group of friends who are all working towards the same fitness goals will stay motivated to keep up with the group. I can relate to this because when I go to a yoga sculpt class (intermediate yoga with weights) with one of well-experienced friends I use heavier weights than what I would train with alone. In a class setting “you tend to gravitate toward the exercise intensity of those around you,” so in my experience my friend makes me work harder in class because I want to keep up with her level.

Although I am a strong advocate for group workouts and fitness classes, other people may feel anxiety from them.Depending on how trained you are can affect your likeness to working out in a group setting. If you are more introverted and untrained, then working out in a group may make you feel more self conscious especially in a yoga studio with mirrored walls allowing everyone to see you. That is why group workouts are most effective for outgoing people that like being challenged by others while working out. Another factor that goes into your preference of working out alone or in a group is the amount of time in your day that you have to workout.

People with more time to workout usually workout in groups, and people who workout only if they have time after their work will often work out alone. If you are working out in the morning to energize yourself for the day, then working out in a group will help build that energy, but if you have limited time to work out at the end of a long day, then working out alone will help you relax and clear your mind.

Whether you regularly workout alone or with a class or a group of friends, it is important to understand the mental health benefits that come from solo workouts. “When you exercise alone, your brain has time to think through problems and reflect on issues.”  This is not to say that group workouts are bad for your mental health, but they do not allow for that prolonged thinking time that working out alone yields. When deciding to workout with friends or alone, only you know what works best for you! You need to know your personality type, your skill level, the amount of time you have to workout for the day, and your workout goals for the day in order to choose if working out solo or in a group will be the most effective for you.

Future Research:

• What are advantages to working out? What are disadvantages?
• What is considered an average workout?

What You Wear Affects Your Workout

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Do you feel more productive on the days where you dress up nicer for school? If so, you are likely to experience a similar occurrence when you wear workout clothes during the day, but the result of wearing the workout clothes is an increased likelihood that you will workout. Author Jamie Wiebe wrote the article Psychology of Lululemon: How Fashion Affects Fitness in 2013 for The Atlantic, a well-known magazine covering a variety of topics. The author’s main argument is that what you wear affects how you think and what you do, so wearing (Lululemon) workout clothes will improve the chances that you work out on a day where you wear workout clothes all day.

Researchers use “Enclothed Cognition” to describe the mental changes people undergo when they wear a certain type of clothing. The author believes that “ the symbolic meaning that you associate with a particular item of clothing” will drive your behavior. It is almost a mind game. If you wear workout clothes during the day, then you will think more about working out, ultimately improving the chances that you will work out that day. I agree with the author that “your clothes represent your inner motivation and feelings” because when I wear a dress to school, I feel more awake and attentive. And when I wear leggings and an athletic shirt to school, I workout after school, so what I wear to school gives my classmates a pretty good idea of the intentions I have for that day.

It is quite evident that more people are starting to wear workout clothes for everyday activities. Workout clothes are not only worn for working out, but for everyday wear! In fact, “the activewear market grew 7 percent over the past year. In the same time, the general apparel market grew only 1 percent.” Now that workout clothes are becoming a fashion statement, more people are buying workout clothes because they are popular, not for the sole purpose of working out. But people have been buying new workout clothes as an incentive to work out. For example, Lululemon markets their athletic wear as either everyday clothing or active wear to reach a larger target market. Lululemon promotes working out by offering “clothing that bridges the divide between activewear and streetwear means you’ll wear it more often—and by doing so, you might feel like going to the gym a little bit more often.” People buying these clothes, mostly women, feel more motivated to workout since they wear fashionable workout clothes throughout the day. 

Although workout clothes are great to buy because they are very versatile nowadays, for “people who get a totally new wardrobe—that’s never a really good sign. Too much, too fast to accommodate your routine and lifestyle.” The effect does not work the same way that it does for people who buy a lot of workout clothes hoping that those new clothes will give them the inspiration they need to workout. Having the workout clothes in your closet will not automatically make you a regular at a gym. But buying new workout clothes after you meet certain fitness goals is a great incentive to keep you on track with your motivation to continue working out. If you already have a steady workout plan, then wearing the workout clothes throughout the day, will help put you in the mindset to workout, as supported by the Enclothed Cognition theory. So, the next time you are deciding on what to wear for the day, think about your intentions for the day and how your outfit can visually express your motives.

Future Research:

• Is it better to workout alone or in a group of people?

Warming Up to Working Out

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For many people, it is hard to warm up to the idea of working out, but motivation for working out actually comes from a pre-workout warm up. The author, Matthew A. Ladwig, reveals The Psychological Effects of a Pre-workout Warm-up: An Exploratory Study a study to ProQuest Research Library confirming that people will be more motivated to continue to work out if they warm up before they start their workout. Ladwig claims that people who warm up prior to working out will associate working out with positivity and therefore will be more motivated to workout.

Sometimes the hardest part of working out is starting your workout. Some people prefer warming up before their workout by stretching, running, etc. but others start their workout immediately because they do not have enough time to do a warm up. According to Ladwig, “a pre-workout warm-up may increase the likelihood that an exerciser maintains a homeostatic state for a longer period than an exerciser who does not use a warm-up routine. In the short and long term, this could lead to higher levels of exercise-related enjoyment as well as increased motivation for exercise and adherence to an exercise regimen.” I agree with his discovery because from my personal experience with working out, I feel rushed or tired if I do not warm up before a workout. When I was younger I played soccer, ran track, and took dance classes; all three very different types of exercise, but they all began with a warm up. Now, I cheerleader and I do yoga. For my cheerleading practices we run, stretch, and do other basic body weight exercises like crunches, lunges, and pushups as a warm-up. Warming up prevents injuries and increases endurance.

Warm-ups can also influence people to associate more positive feelings with working out. The survey that Ladwig conducted revealed that “participants responding "yes" to warm-up use reported significantly higher overall mean scores for both exercise-related motivation and enjoyment than those who did not report using a warm-up.” Although workouts may cut into our time for other activities, it is important to start each workout with a warm-up. From my personal experience, I like workout classes such as yoga because the instructors take time to warm up the class for the upcoming exercise. But, if I were doing yoga in my aerobics class for P.E, the teachers do not have time in the class period to warm up, therefore, I prefer out of school yoga although the classes are quite similar. It is really important to have the right mindset when going into a workout, that is why a warm up is essential for channeling positive feelings for your upcoming workout.

It is crucial to understand the importance of a pre workout warm-up because warm-ups help generate positive attitudes towards working out. “If an exerciser experiences an unpleasant workout, the exerciser will recall the memory for this event more readily than they would have if the experience were more pleasant.” People recall bad experiences very easily, for example, when I was younger I did gymnastics and one day I came late to practice and did not have time to warm up and I ended up straining some tendons in my arm. Because of that bad experience, I stopped exercising through gymnastics. Many people have relatable stories of why they have a bad memory of working out. But, overall it is crucial to start your workout with a warm-up to increase your energy and motivation for working out.

Future Research: 

• Does clothing type have to do with working out?
• What physical incentives are there for working out?

Interest Level in Working Out

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• KEY ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES I’M ADDRESSING:
• 1. Because of Scarcity, People Choose.
• 3. People Respond to Incentives in Predictable Ways.
• 5. Institutions are the "rules of the game" that influence choices.
• OVERALL RESEARCH QUESTION:
• Why are some people more motivated to workout than others?
• SUB QUESTIONS:
• What motivates people to stick with a workout schedule?
• What is the frequency at which the average person works out?
• What is considered an effective workout? (Gym, Home, Class)
• What are advantages to working out? Disadvantages?
• RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH:
• DATABASES:
• Scientific American
• ProQuest Research Library
• WEBSITES:
• www.theatlantic.com

• www.ted.com
• www.dailyburn.com
• OTHER (OPTIONAL):
• Interview Sources