What's In a Word?
Reviewed by Dr. Peter Rawlek, MD
How do you feel when you hear the word “exercise”? Dread? Do you tense up a bit, remembering that sweaty gym-class from high school? Or do you just sigh because it feels like something you have to do? For many of us, that word, “exercise”, triggers dread, obligation, even guilt. That single word carries more power than we realize. It shapes how we think before we even move.
“...time for myself.”
“... taking my heart out for some healthy activity.”
What if we shifted the frame?
Old frame New frame
Exercise Moving my body", "Time for myself", "Taking my heart out for some healthy activity"
I should I could
Chore Choice
Must Move
In this piece, we explore that power, the power of language, perception, and perspective. Because often the difference between “I should” and “I could” is just one small change in wording.
If I may provide an all too well-known situation that happens in sport to illustrate the power of perception. Consider the team that continually loses to the same opponent, season in, and season out, despite being better in some seasons, even, being athletically comparable or better, but they continue to lose to that team.
“They got your number,” are the words describing this situation.
Similarly, perceptions attached to words like “exercise” or “physical activity” commonly has some people’s number. The baggage attached, maybe, strings of previous attempts to become active, the popular press illustrating “exercise” with trim and athletic bodies, gymnasiums, facilities populated with precision movements, leaving the perception of exercise as not for me—never for me?? The choice of how we reference activity, our journey, has consequences. For me, I refer to my journey as “being active,” “getting in my activity.” It works for my getting-active journey.
The impact of the terminology you use to reference your journey— there is power in how we frame it. Think of all the things you do that are active.
Did you clean your house over the weekend?
How many times did you climb the stairs while you were doing the laundry?
Did you walk your dog or take your children (grandchildren) to the park to play?
These are all positive activities and they count in the active journey.
A Bit of What Science Says About Why This Matters
Some research suggests that the way we frame physical activity, for example, emphasizing “enjoyment” rather than “obligation”, can change how we feel about it and even influence what we choose to do. (1)
Another study found that when exercise is described as “fun” instead of “exercise,” people are less likely to mentally treat it as a burden, which changes how they behave afterward (e.g., less seeking compensation by engaging in hedonic snacking as a reward because the fun was rewarding). (2)
More broadly, studies rooted in motivational theory (e.g., self-determination theory) show that people are more likely to stick with activity when it feels self-chosen (self-initiated, self-directed), and that is ownership, that is, it is then meaningful, enjoyable, or aligned with their values, instead of forced or external. (3)
Reference:
Fortier M, Guérin E, Segar ML. Words matter: Reframing exercise is medicine for the general population to optimize motivation and create sustainable behaviour change. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Nov;41(11):1212-1215. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2016-0125. Epub 2016 Sep 20. PMID: 27779430. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27779430/
Werle, C.O.C., Wansink, B. & Payne, C.R. Is it fun or exercise? The framing of physical activity biases subsequent snacking. Mark Lett 26, 691–702 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-014-9301-6
Teixeira PJ, Carraça EV, Markland D, Silva MN, Ryan RM. Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012 Jun 22;9:78. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-9-78. PMID: 22726453; PMCID: PMC3441783. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3441783/