Two years ago, Amy Gruenhut suffered a near-fatal brain infection that left her in a coma for nearly two weeks. Since then, she has gone from learning to eat, talk and walk to running four marathons.
Before falling into a coma, Gruenhut ran occasionally, but after leaving the hospital, returning to the trails of Central Park was like returning to life itself.
Progress required patience and willpower that seemed almost superhuman. But like everyone, Gruenhut sometimes had a hard time getting out of bed and putting on his sneakers. To get through those moments, she gathered a group of training partners who encouraged her to move.
“I didn’t want to leave them in the lurch,” said Gruenhut, 44, adding: “They made that commitment to me, too.”
No matter how inspired people are to achieve their health and fitness goals, many face barriers to putting in the necessary time, reps, or steps. But experts say the difference between moving forward or not often comes down to having a person, group, app, or other outside force encouraging you to keep going.
Most accountability tricks are not universal: a person may be motivated to share their running times on the fitness app Strava; while another may find it very stressful. The key is to experiment until you find a strategy that works for you.
Finding a more committed partner…
Making plans with a friend to exercise increases your chances of training. But some experts say we benefit more if we team up with someone who is more enthusiastic about exercise than we are.
According to Rachel Gershon, lead author of the study and associate professor of marketing at the University of California, Berkeley, a new study on gym motivation, due to be published soon in the journal Management Science, found that participants who had difficulty exercisers experienced a significant improvement when teamed up with a person who regularly went to the gym.
Or someone who needs a push
If you’re the one who’s more committed to exercise, you might benefit from serving as a motivator and teacher for a less experienced friend, said Ayelet Fishbach, a professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Chicago.
The professor explained that when you give advice, you not only force yourself to be accountable to the other person, but you also reinforce your own commitment by hearing yourself explain how or why you do something.
Don’t talk about your careers
Deciding to train for a race or other athletic event can provide both structure and accountability, experts say. But it is best to be discreet about your plans.
Sharing an ambitious goal with everyone — on social media, for example — can be counterproductive because it sometimes makes you “feel like you’ve already achieved it,” said Gabriele Oettingen, a psychology professor at New York University. Research has suggested that, for some people, talking about an upcoming goal comes to feel like a substitute for actually doing it: You get the same satisfaction without having to put in the effort.
Wait to share your event until you’re close to the finish line, literally or figuratively.
Promise an instructor that you will attend
Although paying a gym membership encourages some people to exercise, it is not enough for others: only half of gym members go twice a week.
Kevin Volpp, director of the Penn Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics, said, “If you don’t comply, there’s no real penalty,” other than feeling like you’ve wasted money.
The expert recommended that to create a greater sense of commitment, you should establish a relationship with an instructor or trainer and commit to attending a class or exercise session at a certain time. Social responsibility (not wanting to look like a failure) is often a powerful motivator.
Use clips to track your progress
If visual cues work well for you, Justin Ross, a clinical psychologist in Denver, recommends making a chain of clips to track your workouts. Start with one clip, and each time you exercise, add a new one to the chain. Or make a ball with rubber bands.
According to the expert, these visual reminders “can help provide some of that energy to take the first step” when you feel unmotivated.
Bill
If you need an extra incentive, sign up for an app that pays or rewards you for moving, said Heather Royer, a health economist at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
These apps track metrics like minutes or miles with the help of your cell phone or wearable fitness device and offer discounts on products or even charitable donations on your behalf. They are usually financed with corporate sponsors or commissions from associated brands.
Royer prefers Paceline, which offers gift cards and discounts for moving 150 minutes a week. Although the payment itself is small—just a dollar or two a week—she finds it motivating.
“It’s enough that at the end of the week, if I haven’t reached that goal yet, I’ll be working out at 10 p.m..”
Heather Royer, health economist.
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