Your Three Basic Psychological Needs Are All Met In The Gym: Autonomy, Competence & Relatedness

Dan John says,

“If you are spending so much time at the gym that your mail is forwarded there, you’re not dedicated – you’ve got a mental disorder.”

Funny as he is, he is actually way off the mark. Every human has three basic psychological needs according to Self-determination Theory: autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and the gym is the place that can fill all three of those needs. And filling those needs actually staves off mental disorders!

Self-Determination Is Interconnected With Exercise

In life we all seek personal satisfaction, and satisfaction is a direct result of fulfilling psychological needs. Researchers Deci and Ryan (2000) stated,

“Basic psychological needs are defined as essential nutrients for a person’s growth, integrity, and well-being.”

How does this relate to your daily gym routine?

Let’s look at each in more detail.

Autonomy: Freedom of Choice

“My gym time is my ‘me’ time. I put my headphones on and do my own thing!”

~Roland

“What are you working on today?” is one of the most common questions that weightlifters are asked by other weightlifters when they show up to the gym. If all the benches for bench press are full, you may decide it’s not chest day, it is shoulders day. The point is that the decision is all yours.

READ No Weights? No Worries!

Sicilia et al. (2014) states,

“Within the exercise context, autonomy refers to the need to perform activities that are interesting, and being able to choose and to participate in the decision-making process.”

 You have the freedom to complete any form of exercise you wish, and due to that freedom your autonomy level is higher. Gyms are equipped with cardio equipment, free weights, machines, classes, virtual classes, and daycare centers all which give you the leeway to exercise freely. The more you like the exercises you are partaking in, the more likely you are to return to the gym and maintain the healthy habit.

Unless you hire a trainer to instruct you on what to do, which is still by your own choice, there is no list of demands placed upon you except self-inflicted ones. Even if you do hire a trainer, you could ask for choice in the types of exercises you will perform. You can lift weights or complete bodyweight exercise. You can run on a treadmill or get your cardio from a step mill.

READ No Time for the Gym? Use Kettlebells for a Full Body Workout

Hiring a trainer should not be like high school PE when you are told what to do. You are paying the trainer to learn exercises that you would like to carry out on your own in the future. They are providing you a learning service. If you don’t like the choices your trainer is providing, your autonomy level might decrease causing you to not want to go to the gym, which is not the self-fulfilling reason you started.

The point is that you should find an activity that you truly love to do and that you find satisfying. If free weights aren’t your forte, you can do Zumba or other group classes, play racquetball or basketball, or swim. No matter what exercise you choose for the day, you will be fulfilled knowing that the choice was yours to make.

The Two C’s – Capable and Connected

Competence: You Are Capable

“The day that I could dumbbell press 40s I felt like a total beast!”

~Anna

I would venture to say that 100% of the people who work out regularly leave the gym each day feeling accomplished, and they have never regretted working out. Sicilia et al. (2014) states,

“Competence refers to the need to feel capable and to see that the proposed goals are achieved over time.”

Whether your goal is to lose weight, improve your cardiovascular strength, get stronger, or to build upon your physique, you meet your basic psychological need for competence when you achieve your goal.

Competence can also mean that you are becoming stronger in the gym. You may notice that a workout that would have killed you two months ago feels more like a warm up now. The feeling of becoming better, becoming capable, at something more and more each day brings the reward of competence.

There’s nothing like setting new PRs (personal records) in the gym. Those who do seem to walk in the gym a little taller, get that feeling of “I’m Here Everybody” when they show up, and flex a lot in the mirror for post-workout selfies!

Many people who have gone through a monumental weight loss experience become addicted to the fit life, and because they were capable of a large-scale goal, it becomes their passion. They find careers in the industry to motivate and inspire others. This stems from the tremendous amount of competence they attained through fitness.

Relatedness: Socially Connected

“My husband gets sick of hearing about Zumba class, but the ladies I work out with love chatting about fitness. It’s nice to have the extra sets of ears and new friends.”

~Laura

Waves, nods, admiration, and conversation are all components of being connected to your peers at the gym. You are all meeting at the local bar, the metal 45-lb ones, not the bar with barstools in it, because you all have an unwritten connection.

The need to maintain a good relationship with others and to feel accepted by them is the definition of relatedness according to Sicilia et al (2014). Your social relationships are just as important to your health as exercise and diet. Current research has found in their analysis that multiple dimensions of social relationships throughout life have consistent and robust associations with people’s health (Yang et al. 2015).

READ Cardio vs Weight Lifting

For example, those who make strong social connections are found to live longer, recover from illness more quickly, have higher self esteem, and have better overall social and physical well-being.

On the other hand, those who tend to be more isolated and have few social connections show more rapid declines in physical and psychological health and have higher rates of depression and anxiety.

They gym is a great place to build relationships. Gym goers tend to be supportive of each other’s goals, have a wealth of knowledge about fitness and diet, and like to discuss gym-related topics that your family may be sick of hearing about. So, don’t be afraid to start a conversation after your body-pump class with a fellow exerciser.

The connections you make will improve you overall mental and physical health.

Put It All Together

The gym is a truly great place if you fully partake in what it offers. It cures depression; you make friends; you set and achieve goals, and you are meeting the three basic psychological needs that all people need in order to be healthy, both mentally and physically. It really adds years to your life and adds depth to your existence while you live it.