Interview on the topic of fitness and motivation with Jörg Gantert

Westfälische Nachrichten: Mr. Gantert, why are people usually so unmotivated during the winter? It is the lack of light that makes many people feel listless and tired in winter. The light stimulus is absorbed through the eyes, which stimulates the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This, in turn, elevates our mood and creates a sense of "good cheer." However, when less light enters the eye during the winter months, the production of serotonin is reduced, and more of the "sleep hormone" melatonin is produced. This can lead to feeling sleepy and tired even during the day. Westfälische Nachrichten: During winter, most people are lazy when it comes to physical activity. Mr. Gantert, how can one motivate themselves to get moving again and become fit after the "winter hibernation"? Motivation is not something we can buy in a store. Motivation is an inner attitude, a characteristic of our personality. If your own health is truly important to you, you will find a suitable way to engage in physical activity. This can range from walking, jogging, visiting a gym, doing gymnastics, to yoga or other sports. Phrases like "I should exercise more" or "it might be sensible to do more sports" need to be replaced by a more definitive statement. "I must and will, for example, jog for half an hour every Wednesday evening." At the same time, imagine how bad you would feel if you stick to your old habits. Visualize feeling uncomfortable in tight clothes, feeling tired and sluggish, etc. Then, visualize how refreshed and vital you would feel after physical activity, fitting into great clothes, feeling attractive and comfortable. To start, you can begin with a health day (e.g., every Wednesday). It's important not to overexert yourself at the beginning but to set a goal that is achievable yet challenging. Share your health day plans with friends and inspire them to join you, creating even more drive to take action. Westfälische Nachrichten: What can people do if they lose motivation after a while? How can they prevent this loss? To prevent a loss of motivation, you can, for example, exchange your larger sports activities for a minimum amount of smaller ones for a month. You can embed these smaller physical activities between two existing habits. For instance, do 10 squats, 10 push-ups, and 10 crunches every morning between going to the bathroom and heading to the kitchen. Alternatively, do the same exercises when you come home in the evening after opening the door and showering. Or park your car further away in the office parking lot every morning and take a longer walk to the office. By integrating these activities between two existing habits that you already perform routinely, you can easily continue to do good for your body with the right mindset. Keep reminding yourself of the purpose of physical activity, even if it's just a minimum amount for a while, to avoid falling into the "exception trap" and stay on track.