Two years ago, Amy Gruenhut developed a near-fatal brain infection that left her in a coma for nearly two weeks. Since then, she has learned how to eat, speak and walk again, and has even run four marathons.
Grünhut had been running casually before he went into a coma, but when he returned to the Central Park jogging path after being discharged from the hospital, he felt like life had returned to normal.
Progress required almost superhuman patience and willpower. But like everyone else, Grünhut sometimes had trouble getting out of bed and tying her sneakers. For those moments, she gathered a group of workout buddies who encouraged her to move her body.
“I didn’t want to let them stand up,” Grünhut, 44, said, adding: “They had made that promise to me too.”
No matter how inspired people are to achieve their health and fitness goals, many face barriers when it comes to putting in the time, reps, and steps. But experts say the difference between quitting and not quitting often comes down to the presence or absence of people, groups, apps, or other outside forces that encourage you to keep going.
Most accountability secrets are not universal. Some may be motivated by sharing their run times on the fitness app Strava. For others it may be very stressful. The important thing is to shop around until you find the strategy that works for you.
Find someone more dedicated than you…
If you plan to exercise with a friend, you’re more likely to get it done. But some experts say we’ll benefit the most by teaming up with someone who’s more passionate about working out than we are.
a new research A study on motivation to go to the gym, to be published soon in the journal Management Science, found that participants who struggled to exercise significantly improved when they befriended someone who went to the gym regularly. said Rachel Gershon, lead author of the study and assistant professor of marketing. at the University of California, Berkeley.
“It’s effective to team up with people who are already high performers in the goals you’re trying to pursue,” she said. “And the more committed partners also benefited.”
…or those who need an extra push.
If you are… Ayelet Fishback, a behavioral science professor at the University of Chicago, says the more committed your workout buddy is, the more you’ll benefit from serving as a motivator and teacher to your less experienced friends. Stated.
When you give advice, you’re not only taking responsibility for the other person, but you’re also reinforcing your own commitment by hearing them clearly explain how and why they do something. she said.
Justin Ross, a clinical psychologist in Denver who specializes in athlete mental health and performance, has experienced first-hand the benefits of this type of asymmetric partnership when coaching new athletes. “I have to show up, not just for me, but for them,” he said.
Sign up for the race, but don’t tell (many) people.
Deciding to train for a race or other athletic event provides both structure and accountability, experts say. However, it is better to keep your plans relatively private.
Gabriele Oettingen, a psychology professor at New York University, said that sharing lofty goals widely on social media can be counterproductive because it makes people “feel like they’ve already achieved it.” the study suggests that for some people, talking about their next goal can feel like a substitute for actually doing it, providing the same satisfaction without the effort. .
Hold off on promoting your event, both literally and figuratively, until you’re close to the finish line, she said.
Promise to have a fitness instructor come.
While some people work out by paying a monthly gym membership, for others, that’s not enough. Half of gym members I go twice a week.
“There’s no real penalty for not complying other than feeling like you’ve wasted money,” said Dr. Kevin Volup, director of Penn’s Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics.
To increase accountability, he said, build a relationship with your instructor or trainer and ask them to come to your class or workout session at a certain time. Social responsibility (not wanting to be seen as boring) can be a powerful motivator.
Create a paperclip chain to track your progress.
If you’re someone who responds well to visual cues and reminders, Dr. Ross recommends creating a paperclip chain to track your workouts and keeping it somewhere visible.
Start with one paper clip and add a new clip to the end of the chain each time you exercise. You can also make rubber band balls.
“On days when I’m really not feeling like it, these visual reminders can give me a little bit of energy to get started,” he said.
get money
If you want extra incentives, sign up for the app below. pay or reward you Heather Royer, a health economist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, blamed the move.
These apps track metrics like minutes and miles through your phone or wearable fitness device and offer you products and even discounts. charitable donation with your name. It is usually funded by commissions from corporate sponsors and partners of his brand.
Dr. Royer’s preferences pace line, which offers gift cards and discounts for 150 minutes of travel per week. The payments themselves are small (about $1 or $2 a week for her), but they motivate her. “If the weekend comes and you haven’t reached your goal yet, training at 10 p.m. is enough,” she said.
