Okay, the new gym outfit didn’t work, the new playlist was a bust. So now what? How are you going to trick yourself into getting fit? If you are sick of sulking on your couch crying in your Ben & Jerry’s follow these five tips to trick yourself into working out.
Tip #1: Bring Your Gym Clothes to Work
By the time you get home from work, take off your uncomfortable shoes and sit down, the gym is already a distant memory. Sitting on the couch or making a quick dinner is a much easier option than lacing up your sneakers and getting to the gym. For tip #1 we suggest you bring a gym bag to work. Make sure you have everything you need the night before. Pack your sneakers, pants, tank/t-shirt, extra socks and of course headphones. Never forget the headphones. Ladies, always remember extra hair elastics and a sports bra. Nothing is worse than getting to the gym and realizing you forgot a critical element to working out. Forgetting just one thing could cause you to turn around and pop on those oh-so-comfy pj’s.
Tip #2: Sleep in Your Gym Clothes
Not enough time for the gym? Join the club. One of the most commonly sited reasons for not working out is not having time. The US Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, lists barriers to physical fitness, listing time as the first. One way to avoid this barrier, sleep in your gym clothes for an early morning workout. The moment you wake up and go to hit snooze, remind yourself all you need to do is grab your keys and jump in the car to get a workout in. If you’re a runner, all you need to do is grab your headphones and go! Taking away an extra step in the morning will cut off 15 minutes from your routine and therefore save you some time. Are your gym clothes slightly uncomfortable? Keep your sneakers next to your bed and your gym clothes folded on top.
Tip #3 Make Appointments with Yourself for The Gym
If you and I are anything alike, we live and die by our schedule and calendar. If its not on your calendar, its not happening and it does not exist. Working out is an integral part to your life and your health. However, so many times we prioritize other events and activities over the gym and working out. Our suggestion? Add an event on your calendar every night or every morning depending on what works with your schedule. This appointment can be for 30 minutes, 1 hour or 90 minutes, whatever you can fit in. Once this event is on your calendar, try your hardest not to schedule anything else in this time. This is an appointment with your future healthy self. If you have a vacation coming up or you are preparing for summer, the scheduled time is an appointment with your beach body. You do not want to cancel or snooze on your beach body!
Tip #4 Schedule Gym Classes in Advance
Gym classes are great way to push your fitness level. In a group setting you are less likely to stop and more likely to crank out more difficult moves. For me personally, I am less likely to squat 50 times unless the person next to me is doing it, too. Gym classes can be pricey depending on where you live and what you’re into. One way to motivate yourself to attend? Book a class in advance. Once you are scheduled to attend a class, most classes will charge you for the full fee unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. If you have already booked a class and start to feel a little lazy after work, the prospect of paying $15-25 for a class you can’t attend should deter you from skipping.
Tip #5 Pick a TV Show You Only Watch While Working-out
If you have a series you love and tend to binge on, make a deal with yourself. Only watch the show when you’re working out. This could also work with podcasts. Perhaps you have heard of the global phenomenon ‘Serial’? If you are dying to see what happens in the next episode, you will have to strap on your sneakers and get moving. Of course you can slip up once and a while but once you have made the promise with yourself, you may be able to trick yourself into getting moving!