Put on your gym clothes. The prospect of going to the gym and pushing yourself can be intimidating, so break it down into smaller steps. Make a commitment to put on your gym clothes and get to the gym, and if you don't feel like exercising, don't. Tell yourself that you can just go home as soon as you get there. But odds are, once you're there, it won't be too hard to convince yourself to do 15 minutes of exercise. Just 15 minutes. Once you're done with those 15 minutes, commit yourself to doing just another 10. Keep pushing yourself incrementally. Create a new habit loop with rewards. People who choose simple cues and set up rewards are more likely to exercise regularly.[1] A good cue for going to the gym could be putting your keys under your gym clothes, so that you can't leave your house without handling them (and hopefully bringing them with you). A good reward would be to treat yourself to a latte or something similar, after you go to the gym. Eventually your brain will anticipate the reward and crave the process (going to the gym) that leads up to it. That being said, the reward shouldn't be so unhealthy that it cancels out your gym-going efforts!
Belinda
Fri Feb 14, 2014 9:18 am
