3 Scientifically Proven Ways to Motivate Yourself to Workout

Some really smart people in finance, health, and psychology know that there is money to be made if they can find out which methods work best at motivating people to workout. So what have they found out? Here are three scientifically proven methods that will compel you to get moving.

1. Reward Yourself

After you’ve completed your routine or ran that mile give yourself a tangible reward. It could be anything from a special treat like a smoothie, to buying something you want, or even getting paid to work out.

By doing this continually, you will develop a neurological habit loop. Your brain will start associating the routine of working out with getting a reward. This will make your brain think that this behavior is worth while and increases the chance that this activity will become a habit.

Gradually this motivation becomes natural as your brain correlates the hard work and symptoms of exercise like sweat and pain with the endorphins that give you that amazing feeling after training. Once your brain has learned that the workout itself is a reward, you won’t need to keep giving yourself that treat.

2. Sign a Contract

Scientists have shown that people are more likely to follow through on a commitment if they make them in front of friends. You can make that mean even more if you are willing to pay a penalty, like $20 to someone else for example, for each time you fail to accomplish what you committed to.

You can sign a contract like this with a spouse, relative, or a friend that specifies something to do for a certain amount of time. For example it might state that you will exercise for 30 minutes three times a week for a period of 12 weeks. If you don’t perform the terms of the contract, you will pay some kind of penalty – either monetary or the embarrassment of friends or family knowing that you did not live up to your word.

When setting up a contract think long term – at least 8 weeks or preferably more. You are more likely to exercise more with a long term contract compared to short term one.

3. Think Positive

Positive thinking is one of the easiest principles to talk about, but one of the hardest to actually put into practice – especially for pessimists. Proponents say if you can visualize the benefits of a behavior you can motivate yourself. For example, you can think about how good the sun will feel on your face if you go for a run, or how your body will look as you lose weight and gain more muscle.

However, this is only effective if you combine it with realistic problem solving. In addition to thinking about the positive outcome, you also must determine what obstacle is holding you back. Once you identify that obstacle you can figure out a plan to overcome or deal with it. For example if you want to train at the gym after work, but are always too tired, then switch the time you go to the morning or at lunch time.

The most important thing is to make exercise a regular habit. Once you’ve overcome the initial difficulty you will find it so much easier and you will truly enjoy getting fit.