The Best Way to Motivate Yourself to Exercise

December 1, 2022 Heather Dorak FITNESS

We are deep in the thick of winter and chances are good that your motivation to exercise is not where it was a few months ago.

It’s okay – even the most serious athletes find their motivation dwindling sometimes.

The good news is that there is something you can do to light the motivation fire again. Here’s how to do it.

A Major Motivator for Exercise

An upcoming event or trip, a New Years’ resolution, health, and more are great motivators to get your body moving.

But sometimes you need more than that.

And that’s where money comes in.

A 2016 University of Pennsylvania study revealed that the potential of losing money from a lack of exercise served as a great motivator.

The study divided the participants into four groups:

Group 1 had no money-related incentive for exercise
Group 2 got $1.40 for every day that they reached their exercise goal
Group 3 was entered into a lottery that gave them the potential to win money
Group 4 was given $42 up front but lost $1.40 per day that they didn’t reach their exercise goal

And the results showed that the people in Group 4 who were at risk of losing money were the most motivated.

So how does this study and its findings help you?

Most humans are aligned with the theory that people are more motivated by the idea of losing something than they are by the idea of gaining something. So, if you’re struggling to find motivation to exercise, it’s time to invest in your workouts.

That means signing up for classes ahead of time so that you’ve already spent the money and a no-show means you’re losing money. Since no one wants to lose money, you’ll likely figure out a way to make it to class rather than coming up with an excuse that will cost you.