Fit Island: New year, new you?

Many of us start the New Year with the best of intentions but find it difficult to maintain our resolve. Everyone struggles with temptation and procrastination. These are not individual weaknesses or personal inadequacies. Just as we can lift weights and make our muscles stronger, we can strengthen the brain and become better decision makers. Taking willpower out of the moral domain and putting it in the scientific domain is empowering.

Science has demonstrated that willpower can be trained just like your muscles — the more you use it the stronger it becomes. You are not born with more or less willpower than others and it’s not simply a mental or emotional force that you exert. There are chemical changes that occur in the brain when you use the part responsible for self-control. Willpower is a matter of physiology not psychology.

What we think of as willpower can be viewed as a discourse that takes place in your brain between the pre-frontal cortex (which regulates impulse) and the amygdala (which is responsible for more emotional responses). One mind represents the more rational self, able to see the bigger picture and delay instant gratification. While the other mind represents the more emotional “I want it now!” self.

For example, a person might struggle with a desire to start an exercise program. They know exercise will improve their future health but they also know it will be difficult at first and it’s much easier to just sit in front of the TV or computer. From an emotional standpoint, delaying the start feels good in the moment because it has become more comfortable to be inactive. However, the rational mind understands the future reward of improved health and with practice you can override the more emotional response of wanting to avoid those uncomfortable first steps.

It’s important to identify the long-term reward that will help the rational self override the emotional self.  Establish the “big why” — why is this goal important and worth sacrificing immediate rewards for? It seems simplistic, but when it comes to establishing healthy goals like eating better and exercising more we tend to have rather vague ideas of what we hope to gain (or lose!).

Fortunately, physical exercise has its own built in reward system. Researchers have discovered that exercise increases willpower through actual changes at a chemical level in the brain. The metabolic demands of exercise -— especially cardiovascular exercise — improves the health of the brain particularly in the pre-frontal cortex where self-control resides.  Exercise will strengthen your willpower each time you do it.

As with exercise, good nutrition has a positive affect on the strength of our decision-making skills. The brain operates best on a steady supply of energy. The spikes and crashes of the typical standard American diet (laden with processed foods and too much added sugar) can wreak havoc on impulse control. Try to eat a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean protein to maintain a steady supply of energy to the brain.

When we exercise, eat nutritious foods and get enough rest, we are more capable of being our best selves — productive, effective and able to deal with challenges — versus operating from a place of impulse and stress. One of the most important things we can do is to take good care of ourselves because it will enhance all areas of life.

If you find yourself avoiding a challenge like starting an exercise program, convince yourself to give it just 10 minutes. Often 10 minutes is enough time to get over the hurdle of resistance and trigger a different message in your brain. Small changes will eventually lead to bigger ones. Everyone can find 10 minutes in the day to get up and move. Try to frame these changes in a positive light — focusing on the healthy things you are adding versus what you are giving up. By practicing healthy habits on a daily basis you are strengthening your mental muscles and your resolve.  These habits will eventually become lifestyle changes versus more broken resolutions.

Here’s to a healthy 2018!