Opinion – Bruno Gualano: A reformulation for physical exercise

If very few people doubt that exercise is good for health, why is a considerable portion of the population inactive?

Michelle Segar (University of Michigan), behavioral scientist and best-selling author of “No Sweat,” seeks science-based explanations for this question. And so it demolishes some of the instagrammable motivational nonsense we see around…

In a study with fathers and mothers of dependent children –a group known to be refractory to the practice of physical activity–, the researcher noted that those who wanted to exercise for aesthetic or health reasons tended to give up after a year.

Those who ventured into activities that were self-perceived as pleasurable and revitalizing were more likely to remain active in the long term.

Segar understands that the immediate pleasure that exercise provides is the main source of motivation for engaging in an active lifestyle. On the other hand, the researcher points to evidence that the therapeutic benefits of physical activity –although they are many and widely acquaintances– do not per se convince people to be active.

This is because our decisions are strongly influenced by the expectation of how adopting a certain behavior will make us feel.

Improved appearance, weight loss and a reduction of a few milligrams of cholesterol are welcome outcomes with regular physical activity. However, according to Segar, the immediate affective effect of exercise, manifested, for example, in reducing stress, increasing vitality and improving general well-being – and, above all, how this positively impacts interpersonal relationships (family, friends) and other everyday aspects (work, leisure)–, can be a more powerful motivational stimulus in adherence to active life.

These observations invite us to reflect on whether, in fact, we would be properly promoting exercise.

Interviews conducted by experts revealed what women from the capital Washington (USA) think about some campaigns to encourage the practice of physical activity.

And the participants spared no criticism of the aesthetics of the messages. “When I see [nas campanhas] images of people riding bicycles in the middle of the day, I think: ‘what do they do for a living?'”, one of them was indignant with the idleness of the characters. “Real people are not so thin!”; “Show me activities that I can perform with my body”, protested others, probably endowed with physical forms and real abilities.

Unfortunately, it takes a lot more than a sculptural body and pub-going coach phrases to intrinsically motivate flesh-and-blood people. And that’s why exercise needs a rebrand.

For a single mother, peripheral, working and sedentary, the recommendation that “every movement counts” (contemplated in the recent brazilian guide) is much more potent than chimerical messages like “walk 10,000 steps a day“, “do 40 push-ups” or, amazed, dear reader!, run backwards. These, unreachable to the vast majority, cause pressure, withdrawal and frustration. The former, inclusive and permissive, sharpens the perception of competence and autonomy.

Reinvigorated by advances in behavioral science, messages encouraging exercise need to shift away from the merely cosmetic and medicalized focus on wellness. In trying to become active, pleasure should be the goal.