Exercise as Immediate Gratification

Physical activity is life-enhancing, health-enhancing, mood-elevating – and fun.

It feels good.

It makes you feel good.

It is the key to a vibrant, energized life.

So why do only 17 percent of American women get the minimum amount of aerobic and strength-training exercise? This is according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control. Women over 45? Only 15 percent are regular exercisers. For women over 65, the percentage goes down to 12. (Men fare somewhat better. But not much.)

Why when we are awash in information about the extraordinary benefits of physical activity…when we are slammed with studies that link inactivity to illness, poor quality of life and early death…why are we an increasingly slothful nation?

Of course I am not addressing you, dear readers. You (we!) are the 17 percent. But what about your sister, your aunt, your co-worker, your partner?

I recently came across some interesting research about this. Although the many and profound benefits of physical activity are constantly in the news, it may be that the message is not being presented in the right way. Apparently, promoting physical activity as a way to prevent or control disease, or lose weight — and prescribing doses as if exercise were medicine – doesn’t get most people off their butts or help them establish activity habits. This is according to research conducted by Michelle Segar, director of the Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan. Here’s what she said in an interview with veteran New York Times health columnist Jane Brody: “Health is not an optimal way to make physical activity relevant and compelling enough for most people to prioritize in their hectic lives.”

I’m stunned. It seems counterintuitive, but her research shows that people whose goals are better health and weight loss do not tend to spend much time exercising. It could be because “better health” is a life-long journey with cumulative – and sometimes invisible (until it’s not) – benefits, not instant gratification. It could be because exercise alone, with no change in eating habits, is not a very successful weight-loss strategy. It could be because people hate to be preached at. Or all three. Whatever the constellation of reasons, almost 200 million Americans are not doing what pretty much all of them know is good for them.

Dr. Segar, a psychologist who specializes in helping people adopt and maintain regular exercise habits, is using another approach that focuses on the immediate rewards that enhance daily life — more energy, a better mood, less stress and more opportunity for connection. These benefits, her research has found, offer more powerful motivation. Her message: Physical activity is a way to revitalize and renew. It is the fuel that powers us to better enjoy what matters most.

And now, friends, I am off to my own refueling station, my local Barre3 studio.