Motivation and the Brain
PSY/355
September 9, 2013
University of Phoenix Motivation and the Brain Motivation is involved in every area of a person’s life. When a person eats healthy, exercises, quits smoking, stops drinking, goes to school, goes to work, and many other thing he or she does through the power of motivation. Motivation gives a person a reason to act: the act of giving somebody a reason or incentive to do something. The brain is the where motivation begins. The brain is our control center for the functioning and development of human beings. The driving force in motivation is the brain, it also controls actions needed for him or her to become motivated about something. To stay on an exercise routine requires motivation, but that motivation is sometimes blocked by our internal struggles. The limbic system and hypothalamus has been linked to contributing to motivation of exercising. It also takes intrinsic and extrinsic factors to help a person stay motivated to exercise. The different brain structures as well as intrinsic and extrinsic factors work together to motivate someone to exercise. Increases in motivation can lead to changes in the brain, this involves the limbic system and hypothalamus. These changes extend their influences to other parts of the brain and to the rest of the body through the endocrine system (AKRI Ltd. Applied knowledge research and innovation, 2013). This system uses chemical messengers that can have a measurable affect on the performance of an individual. One of the primary chemicals involved in this process is serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter chemical: a chemical derived from the amino acid tryptophan and widely distributed in tissues. It acts as a neurotransmitter, constricts blood vessels at injury sites, and may affect emotional states. Motivation occurs at two levels; the primary level to satisfy basic demands (oxygen, food, water) and the secondary level, which includes social needs, etc. A person would need to satisfy primary needs in order to satisfy secondary needs. Exercise improves physiological development and also promotes psychological well-being. Participating in exercise dramatically improves a person’s well-being, especially if that person is suffering from a chronic illness (Graham, Kremer, & Wheeler, 2008), while individual components of well-being, including fortitude, stress management, and coping have all been shown to improve significantly when associated with a regular exercise schedule (Lewis & Sutton, 2011). Other motivations for exercising include looking and feeling good. Why we exercise is different for many people, but ultimately we all need to; to have a healthy mind, body, and soul. Many people exercise because they feel good afterwards, have more energy, and their body looks good. They enjoy the praise and recognition that he or she receives. Some of these are intrinsic motivators, and some are extrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivation is seen in fully self-determined individuals: their motivation for particular behaviors is a fully integrated part of their sense of self, and they take part in exercise because they find it inherently enjoyable (Lewis & Sutton, 2011). Extrinsic motivation is more instrumental; the activities are engaged in because of some desired end result rather than for the activity itself (Lewis & Sutton, 2011). An example of this occurs when a person exercises for the sole purpose of losing weight. He or she does not find pleasure or enjoyment but continue to do it because it is a major factor in losing weight. Another intrinsic motivator could be if his or her physician tells him or her to lose weight for health reasons, this would motivate to exercise to lose weight. Intrinsic motivation can be influenced by heredity and a person’s environment. A person learns ways to motivate or not motivate themselves. For example, if a person grows up watching his or her caregiver lack motivation (he or she does not strive for better) he or she will not know how to motivate him or herself to strive for more. It is likely that a person which grows up in a family that does not exercise on a regular basis, except for the sole purpose to lose weight, will not either he or she has never learned how to motivate him or herself. Opposite of that is a person growing up in a family that encourages and engages in regular exercise for the love it; will likely continue to exercise after moving away from their family. Sometimes finding the motivation to exercise takes a little work. A person’s daily life often gets in the way, and he or she thinks that there is no time fit exercise in. To combat this a person needs to make time for exercise and stick to that schedule. There are also social motivators to get a person exercising. The first is to make the training environment educational. By engaging oneself in the process of learning of his or her program provides the client with the opportunity to make choices about fitness (Medberry, PhD, 2002). Second, provide direction all the person to engage in activities and start making small choices on what to do during the routine. Third, avoid competition with others. A person should work to improve his or her fitness, but should not compare him or herself to others. Fourth, focus on and reward the amount of effort and persistence displayed (Medberry, PhD, 2002). These are the behaviors that need to be fostered and valued. Finally, work to ensure success. Find a program that is designed to make him or her feel competent in his or her ability doing the exercises. A person has to find the motivation to exercise on his or her own. Whether they do so by setting a reward for reaching a set goal or because they find exercising completely satisfying and rewarding. It sometimes takes work to stay motivated, many things can arise to put a snag in a person’s routine, but by sticking to the plan he or she has set in place it is possible to avoid losing motivation. The hypothalamus and limbic system, intrinsic, and extrinsic factors work together to motivate a person to exercise. An intrinsic motivator can be as simple as setting a small or short-term goal, keeping a journal, and acknowledging success. By doing these few little steps he or she will begin to foster internal motivation and find that his or her confidence increases. As he or she acknowledge the success of small accomplishments, it becomes easier to believe large goals are attainable. Anyone has the ability to motivate oneself and attain what he or she sets his or her mind to.

References
AKRI Ltd. Applied knowledge research and innovation. (2013). Cognition: Motivation. Retrieved from http://http://www.akri.org/cognition/motivate.htm
Graham, R., Kremer, J., & Wheeler, G. (2008). Physical exercise and psychological well-being among people with chronic illness and disability. Journal of Health Psychology, 1(13), 447-458.
Lewis, M., & Sutton, A. (2011, March). Understanding Exercise Behaviors: Examining the Interaction of Exercise Motivation and personality in Predicting Exercise Frequency. Journal of Sport Behavior, 34(1), 82-93.
Medberry, PhD, R. (2002, April). Motivation and Exercise Behavior. National Strength & Conditioning Association, 24(2), 36-37.