Statista claims that over 50% of Americans older than six play sports. However, only 19% engaged in them daily. Despite this activity being crucial to mental and physical development, many people struggle with committing to it.
Finding the time to engage in sports can be challenging because of your busy routine or life commitments. Still, this lack of motivation to do sports is why over 100 million Americans struggle with obesity.
You need the movement playing sports provides to escape your sedentary lifestyle.
All work and no play made Jack a dull boy, but allocating time for sports can keep you young and active. Indulging in sports is an excellent recreational activity that improves your health. If you want to start pursuing a sport but need a push to begin daily practice, use the following tricks to motivate yourself.
1. Watch sport broadcasts
Tuning into a sports broadcast is always exhilarating. Have you ever gotten pumped up after watching an intense match? Do you end up screaming at the TV as your cheer on your favorite team?
Researchers investigated this feeling to determine whether watching these athletes on television can be motivating. A survey of golf fans during a tournament found that 40% of respondents increased their physical activity after watching their favorite athletes.
This phenomenon was also observed during the Women’s FIFA World Cup of 2019, when there was an increase of 850,000 women signing up for football.
Whether you’re a golf or football fan, tuning into a CBS sports channel may motivate you to play. Let the excitement of the games energize you as the broadcaster gives you a play-by-play. The enthusiasm of your favorite sportscaster truly makes a difference as you feed off of their energy.
If you’re fortunate, rising star Amanda Balionis will be on air to give you a lively insight into the game. You might recognize her as a prominent commentator on CBS, who also starred in Netflix’s 2023 series Full Swing.
Her charismatic presence on the screen can capture your attention and seamlessly guide you through the match. You can motivate yourself to play sports by tuning into CBS and sticking around for quality commentators that feed your passion.
Not only do you learn from the best and hype yourself to play, but you also have a great time doing so.
2. Involve your friends
There is no ‘I’ in a team, and playing sports alone is no fun. Asking your friends to join you in doing sports is a great way to motivate yourself. A partner can keep you in check and encourage you to push your limits. The CDC also recommends working out with a friend because it keeps you consistent, motivated, and adventurous.
Knowing that someone expects you to show up keeps you committed. It prevents you from giving up, especially if you struggle with setting up a routine. Besides supporting each other, you can also challenge each other to friendly matches and improve performance through healthy competition.
Even if you can’t find friends to play with, try using this opportunity to socialize with people with your interests.
3. Set realistic goals
Setting a goal motivates you and gives you something to work towards. However, 92% of people can’t achieve them because they aim too high. You can’t expect to become a pro badminton player overnight or get a hole-in-one on the first course.
Setting unrealistic standards is like sabotaging yourself. You get disappointed over your lack of progress and give up, forgetting that it was impossible. Goal setting is a great motivator, but only if you do it right.
Before setting goals, you must be aware of your attitude and priorities. Only commit hours to a practice you have time for.
Create a schedule and allocate time to your sport accordingly. Writing your goals on a chart or your phone can also be a great motivator, as a Dominican University study reported that you are 42% likelier to achieve your goals if you jot them down because you hold yourself accountable.
4. Buy new gear
Consider investing in your sport by purchasing new sportswear and equipment to motivate you. Suppose you spend money on expensive golf shoes. You wouldn’t want them wasting away at the back of your closet.
This psychological phenomenon is known as the sunk-cost fallacy, where you are reluctant to quit something you have invested in. It applies to time, effort, and money. In this scenario, you’ll still play golf even if you feel like quitting because you’ve already spent money on shoes.
You can use this strategy to your advantage by tricking your brain into pursuing your sport when you have low motivation levels.
Purchasing new gear that suits your chosen sport can also make it a much more comfortable process, encouraging you to play more.
5. Choose enjoyment
Before you dive into a sport, consider whether it is a good fit for you. Do you enjoy it? Is this something you see yourself doing in the future? If yes, then staying motivated will come easy to you. Having fun reduces stress and energizes you, increasing your productivity and improving your performance by 13%.
You commit yourself to developing your skills when you genuinely enjoy a sport.
However, how do you choose the right sport to commit to? Consider your personality and physical traits to choose a sport that fits you best. Play sports like rugby or basketball if you’re a team player.
If you’re adventurous, try surfing or rock climbing. You can also choose sports like archery or golf if you enjoy games that require precision.
6. Utilize apps
Installing sports apps can keep track of your progress and help motivate you by sending you reminders. Some apps, like a cycling app called Strava, also have unique game features that encourage you to compete with other users.
It has local leaderboards that show the high scores of people in your area who get trophies until someone else scores higher. You can challenge other users by marking a route and creating a challenge zone, which records the time it takes people to pass through it.
This feature encourages friendly competition and motivates users to break each other’s high scores. The gamification of sports can increase physical activity by 23%, as competitiveness is an incentive to improve performance.
Conclusion
Sports are an excellent and enjoyable way to include physical activity into your routine. They help you escape from daily life’s problems and energize your body.
It is something everyone should give time to daily. Even though taking time out of your busy schedule to commit to sports may be challenging, you can use this article’s tips to motivate yourself to pursue sports and create a happier and healthier life.