Ask Roger: How do I use hypnosis to motivate me to exercise?

Hypnosis to motivate me to exercise

I use hypnosis to motivate me to exercise all the time. Creating the desire and motivation to exercise is a frequent topic that people ask me about. It has been brought up again both last week and this week in client sessions and in this email from Bill.

Hypnosis can be a powerful asset for exercise if you have the right goal in mind.

The first question that I ask clients when they tell me about their lack of motivation to exercise is, “why do you want to exercise?” I often get a startled look, or the look of “are you crazy?” but I am serious. Why do you want to exercise?

Most people respond with, “It will help me lose weight.” “It’s good for my health.” Or, “I know I should.” As serious as these people are, none of those answers are motivators. You will hear me say this a lot: Health is not a motivator.

With good health what will be different?

The real question is, with good health what will be different? I don’t go to the gym because I like pumping iron. I go because I like the strength that I have for splitting fire wood and hauling mulch for my garden. I go to the gym because I know that I can go on a 20 mile backpacking trip tomorrow and I know that tomorrow I can go on a 100 mile bike ride. I don’t have to do special training to get in shape. I am in shape.

It’s the same thing with painting walls. I don’t like to do it. But I sure like how the walls look when I am done. The reward is not in the doing. The reward is in the benefits.

Set clear goals

So set clear goals on what you want to do when you are in shape. I urge you to go so far as to schedule a hike, an organized cycling event, or a running event. Get the date on your calendar. If these activities are too adventurous for you, maybe it’s spending the day walking Disneyland with the grandkids or being able to sit on the floor.

Then use your self-hypnosis to keep you focused and on target. As you exercise see yourself healthy and living the life that you want to live and doing the activities that you want to do.

For some of my clients the goal is to be able to get in and out of the car and for others it is to run a marathon, dance in a recital or play a professional sport. For my 95 year-old mom, she does her leg lifts sitting in her chair and does laps inside her house pushing her walker so she can live independently and can live without a wheelchair. She doesn’t do leg lifts because she likes leg lifts. She does it for her independence.

For me, exercise is about liberty. The freedom to do what I want to do when I want to do it.

So ask yourself, “Do I want hypnosis to motivate me to exercise?” If the answer is yes, give me a call or send me an email. Let’s get you off of that couch and moving!

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Bill wrote: “I know that I should exercise for lots of reasons. I keep setting the intention but I always manage to find an excuse or put it off until I don’t have the time. I’m wondering how do I use hypnosis to motivate me to exercise?

Thanks”

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