Do you feel a twinge of disappointment when your pedometer clocks "only" 5,000 steps? Guilty when you can squeeze in just two days of cardio? Self-critical when you miss yoga class? Research shows that these feelings can damage your health more than the exercise missed. One large-scale study found that people who see themselves as less active than others have up to a 71% higher mortality risk, regardless of actual levels of physical activity.
The research has led some experts to worry that an over-focus on fitness recommendations — 10,000 steps a day, 150 minutes of cardio a week, two days of strength training — are hindering, not helping, those who struggle to maintain a fitness plan.
Falling short of your goals can cause an inadequacy mindset that can, in turn, lead to poorer health. Conversely, simply feeling like you're doing enough can appreciably improve your health stats. The bottom line is this: While there's no doubt that it's important to exercise, it's equally important to see yourself as an active person.
Why Seeing Yourself as Active Matters
Most of us are not chronic couch potatoes. In the course of a typical day, without even trying to exercise, we walk the dog, stand in line at the post office, cook dinner, chase kids, haul laundry, garden. You may not wear workout clothes to carry groceries up the stairs, but this activity gets your heart rate up and strains your muscles, not unlike walking on the elliptical.
In one study, hotel housekeepers were asked if they got regular exercise. They unanimously said they didn't — most said they didn't have time. The researchers then told one group that the type of work they did — pushing carts, making beds, cleaning bathtubs — was, in fact, a legitimate form of exercise. A second group was not told anything.
After four weeks, the "informed" group had come around to believing they were getting exercise at work. The truly surprising discovery, though, was this: Despite making no changes to their fitness plan, they showed a decrease in weight, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure compared with the control group. Simply replacing the belief, "I'm not exercising, I'm not being healthy" with the belief, "I'm active every day" measurably improved their health.
The Risk of an Inadequate Mindset
Hard-to-attain goals and unforgiving fitness trackers can lead to an activity inadequacy mindset. In one study, researchers manipulated the readings of participants' step trackers, so that some thought they were taking 40% more steps than they actually were, and others thought they were taking 40% fewer steps than they were actually walking.
After four weeks, those who thought they'd taken 40% fewer steps had worse health outcomes than the other group, including higher blood pressure and heart rate. Their sense of discouragement and deficiency resulted in lower self-esteem, which led to behavioral changes, like making less healthy choices when eating. These had real consequences for their health.
It was the participants' thoughts, as much as their actions, that made the difference.
In light of this, it's important to consider the effects of external trackers. While observing slow and steady progress is motivating for some people, trackers may prompt others to over-focus on where they've fallen short, creating an inadequacy mindset.
How to Build an Adequacy Activity Mindset
The right type of exercise for you is any type of movement that you enjoy or that is already part of your day-to-day. That's because these are the forms of exercise you're likely to consistently do.
You can cultivate an adequacy mindset by reframing how you view the activities that are already part of your schedule and leaning into those you enjoy. Here's how:
Recognize the exercise you're already doing. See and affirm the value in the daily activities you're doing that get your blood pumping and your muscles activated. These include:
- Gardening, raking, and mowing the lawn
- Carrying heavy groceries
- Cleaning (vacuuming, cleaning mirrors, washing the floors)
- Lifting/holding babies
- Taking the stairs
- Walking to and from errands or around your office
- Walking your dog
Do more of what you love. If you're trying to put exercise into your life, lean into movement you love. Doing an activity you enjoy with a movement component is preferable to an activity you can't stand that promises some ideal benefit, because one is more sustainable in the long run. Do you love walking with friends? Playing pickleball? Going out dancing? Biking into town? Whatever it is, do more of that.
Choose small goals. If you're starting something new, start small. This may be one yoga pose a day or taking one flight of stairs. The goal is to feel like you've accomplished something, to promote that all-important activity adequacy mindset, which will set off a virtuous cycle of fitness.
Ditch the trackers (for now). Check in with yourself when you're using your step or activity tracker. Do you tend not to meet your goals? If so, how are you feeling when you see this reflected in your tracker? You may want to adjust your personal goals or give the trackers a break for a bit.
