No sweat : how the simple science of motivation can bring you a lifetime of fitness

"When it comes to exercise, most of us have gotten the message but still lack the motivation. That's why we need this remarkable book." --Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us " No Sweat provides a step-by-step program for staying motivated to exercise. Michelle Segar shows us how easy it is to apply science to achieve a lifetime of fitness, well-being, and meaning--without breaking a sweat." --John Ratey, MD, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School "This is the best book on exercise I've ever read precisely because it's not a book about exercise. Practical and research-backed, No Sweat will help you stay motivated for life." --Dan Heath, co-author of the New York Times bestseller Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard "Michelle Segar has cracked the elusive code of behavior change in health." --Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, MA, MHSA, Health Economist and Advisor, Health Populi blog Do you secretly hate exercising? Struggle to stick with a program? Millions of people try and fail to stay fit. But what if "exercising" is the real problem, not you? No Sweat translates years of research on exercise and motivation into a simple four-point program that will empower you to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. You'll discover why you should forget about willpower and stop gritting your teeth through workouts you hate. Instead, you'll become motivated from the inside out and start to crave physical activity. You'll be hooked! Practical, proven, and loaded with inspiring stories, No Sweat makes getting fit easier--and more fun--than you ever imagined. Get ready to embrace an active lifestyle that you'll love. "When it comes to exercise, most of us have gotten the message but still lack the motivation. That's why we need this remarkable book." **--Daniel H. Pink, author of __Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us__**"__No Sweat__ provides a step-by-step program for staying motivated to exercise. Michelle Segar shows us how easy it is to apply science to achieve a lifetime of fitness, well-being, and meaning--without breaking a sweat." **--John Ratey, MD, author of __Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain__ and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School**"This is the best book on exercise I've ever read precisely because it's not a book about exercise. Practical and research-backed, __No Sweat__ will help you stay motivated for life." **--Dan Heath, co-author of the __New York Times__ bestseller __Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard__** "Michelle Segar has cracked the elusive code of behavior change in health." **--Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, MA, MHSA, Health Economist and Advisor, Health Populi blog**Do you secretly hate exercising? Struggle to stick with a program? Millions of people try and fail to stay fit. But what if "exercising" is the real problem, not you? __No Sweat__ translates years of research on exercise and motivation into a simple four-point program that will empower you to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. You'll discover why you should forget about willpower and stop gritting your teeth through workouts you hate. Instead, you'll become motivated from the inside out and start to crave physical activity. You'll be hooked!Practical, proven, and loaded with inspiring stories, __No Sweat__ makes getting fit easier--and more fun--than you ever imagined. Get ready to embrace an active lifestyle that you'll love. We start out with the best intentions. We're going to exercise more and get in shape! Then five days a week at the gym turns into two... then becomes none. We hit the snooze button and skip the morning run. We really do want to be healthy and fit, but we're over whelmed and overextendedand exercise feels like another chore to complete. Is it any wonder we don't stick with it? Behavior expert Michelle Segar has devoted her career to the science of motivation. In No Sweat , she reveals that while "better health" or "weight loss" sound like strong incentives, human beings are hardwired to choose immediate gratification over delayed benefits. In other words, we're not going to exercise unless it makes us happy right now. So what's the solution? To achieve lasting fitness, we have to change our mindsbefore we can change our bodies. In No Sweat , Segar shows us how. Translating twenty years of research on exercise and motivation into a simple four-point program, she helps readers broaden their definition of exercise, find pleasure in physical activity, and discover realistic ways to fit it into their lives. Activities we enjoy, we repeat--making this evidence-based system more sustainable in the long run than a regimen of intense workouts. Even if we don't sweat, we really benefit. The success of the clients Segar has coached testifies to the power of her program. Their stories punctuate the book, entertaining and emboldening readers to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. Complete with worksheets, tips, and techniques, getting in shape has never been so easyor so much fun. Do you secretly hate exercising? Struggle to stick with a program? Millions of people try and fail to stay fit. But what if "exercising" is the real problem, not you? Motivation scientist and behavior expert Michelle Segar?translates years of research on exercise and motivation into a simple four-point program that will empower you to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. You'll discover why you should forget about willpower and stop gritting your teeth through workouts you hate. Instead, you'll become motivated from the inside out and start to crave physical activity. In No Sweat , Segar will help you find: A step-by-step program for staying encouraged to exercise Pleasure in physical activity Realistic ways to fit fitness into your life The success of the clients Segar has coached testifies to the power of her program. Their stories punctuate the book, entertaining and emboldening you to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. Practical, proven, and loaded with inspiring stories, No Sweat makes getting fit easier—and more fun—than you ever imagined. Get ready to embrace an active lifestyle that you'll love! COVER; TITLE; COPYRIGHT; CONTENTS; LIST OF FIGURES; PREFACE; ACKNOWLEDGMENT; A NOTE TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS; CHAPTER 1 It's Not About the Sweat; The Health and Fitness Message Isn't Working; Doing What You Enjoy Is a Better Motivator for Exercising-and It Works; An Individualized Program That Changes Lives; Your MAPS and How to Use Them; It's Your Move; The Takeaways; PART I: MEANING; CHAPTER 2 Escaping the Vicious Cycle of Failure; What Does Exercise Mean to You?; The Vicious Cycle of Failure; Why We Choose the Wrong Reasons for Exercising; Escaping Your Personal Vicious Cycle of Failure Body Shaping and Weight Loss Whys Guide Us to Work Out in Ways We Don't LikeTo Feel or Not to Feel? Feelings Trump Function; High- Intensity Exercise Feels Bad to a Lot of Folks; Ignoring Your Body Undermines Your Goals; How Autonomy Can Change Your Experience; The Relationship Between Enjoying Exercise and Losing and Maintaining Weight; Illuminating Invisible Chains; How to Exorcise Exercise; The Takeaways; CHAPTER 5 Count Everything and Choose to Move!; What ""Counts"" Is Different from What You Think; The Misunderstood Ten-Minute Rule; Sitting May Be Bad for Your Health Do you secretly hate exercising? Struggle to stick with a program? Millions of people try and fail to stay fit. But what if "exercising" is the real problem, not you? No Sweat translates years of research on exercise and motivation into a simple four-point program that will empower you to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. You'll discover why you should forget about willpower and stop gritting your teeth through workouts you hate. Instead, you'll become motivated from the inside out and start to crave physical activity. You'll be hooked!--back cover To Sweat or Not to Sweat?Moving Away from the Medical Model of Exercise; Everything Counts: A Better Message to Motivate More Movement; Understanding That ""Everything Counts"" Is a Bridge to Consistency; It All Adds Up; A Treasure Hunt: Discovering Hidden Opportunities to Move; The Takeaways; CHAPTER 6 From a Chore to a Gift; Reframing: From the Wrong Why to the Right Why; Many Right Whys: Regular Physical Activity Is an Elixir of Life; Why Isn't ""To Be Healthy"" a Right Why?; Reward Substitution Is a Very Strategic Move; The Successful Cycle of Motivation Listen to Your Body's Messages and Do What You LikeWanting and Liking: The Neuroscience of Reward; Men and Women Might Benefit from Different Experiences; ""Gift"" Yourself with Movement Any and Every Way You Can; Let the Games Begin! Discovering the Gifts of Movement in Your Life; Could Walking Be Your Way?; The Takeaways; PART III: PERMISSION; CHAPTER 7 Permission to Prioritize Self-Care; Does Your Mindset Have Your Best Interests in Mind?; Caretakeritis Is Not Good for Anyone's Health; Are You Paying Attention to Your Body's Distress Signals? Do You Just Need More Willpower?The Takeaways; CHAPTER 3 Motivation from the Inside Out; Our Past Experience with Exercise Builds Our Meanings; Self-Determination Theory Supports the Benefits of Owning Our Choices; Take Ownership of Your Exercise; Framing Is Everything: The ""Work or Fun"" Study; The Why: The Foundation of Sustainable Behavior Change; How Our Whys Influence Even How Much We Eat; Muddying the Waters: More Motives Are Not More Motivating; The Takeaways; PART II: AWARENESS; CHAPTER 4 Exorcising Exercise Preface Acknowledgments It's not about the sweat Meaning Escaping the vicious cycle of failure Motivation from the inside out Awareness Exorcising exercise Count everything and choose to move! From a chore to a gift Permission Permission to prioritize self-care What sustains us, we sustain Strategy Six big ideas for lifelong sustainability Sustainability training Epilogue. changing your beliefs, changing your behavior, changing your life Endnotes A note to medical professionals Index About the author. Presents a plan designed to eliminate the cycle of exercise failure by making physical activity something to be craved and not dreaded