Reframe exercise

The amazing benefits of exercise are not up for debate anymore. Despite this, most people don’t do enough or resist it altogether. With several exercise modalities to choose from, it can’t be that there are no suitable options. So what is stopping people from exercising?

Part of the problem may be the physical activity guidelines that insist on 150 minutes of physical activity every week. This large number is intimidating for many, especially those just starting out. Fortunately, there’s a solution to combat this time-related deterrent - one that will allow you to still meet the exercise guidelines. Have I grabbed your attention? Good.

If I asked you to hold a plank for two minutes, you might back out before you even start. And I wouldn’t blame you, because two minutes for a plank hold seems awfully long! But if I asked you to hold a 30-second plank four times over the course of a day, you’d probably reconsider. Well, according to research, you might. 

Studies have shown that mentally reframing the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week to 21 minutes per day increases eagerness and engagement in exercise activities. Specifically, here’s what these studies found:

• Participants felt that the time commitment for exercise felt shorter (despite no actual change in the recommended total weekly exercise duration).

• There was an increased commitment to start a new exercise regime.

• Participants felt they could better prioritise time for exercise in their daily schedules.

• Participants felt more motivated while participating in exercise activities. 

These studies also showed the value of reframing exercise statements to highlight the positives rather than the negatives. For example, one should emphasise that “Exercise is good for my physical and mental health” rather than “If I don’t exercise, my physical and mental health will suffer”. This may encourage individuals to prioritise their wellbeing for the benefits and enjoyment rather than out of fear of ill health.

Another approach is to retrieve activities of a comparable time commitment to that of an exercise session. For example, 20 minutes of exercise per day is comparable to sitting through five to six TV commercials (and I’m sure most of us would prefer to exercise than sit through another toothpaste ad anyway).

It’s a simple equation: the perception of less time required for exercise + highlighting the positives = increased exercise compliance. Win-win!