How to Stay Committed and Double Your Chances of Fitness Success
What if I told you that there was a way to more than double your chances of fitness success? Would you be interested? And I’m not talking about some strange exercise machine that claims to burn “500 calories in 10 minutes” or an expensive supplement that you saw on TV. I’m simply talking about accountability.
There was a study done to determine the probability of completing a goal. It concluded a lot of incredible things, but here are some of the most shocking results:
- If you decide when you will do it – 40% increase
- If you plan how you will do it – 50% increase
- If you commit to someone you will do it – 65% increase
- You have a specific accountability appointment with a person you’ve committed to – 95% increase
So how can we apply these findings to your health and fitness? Let’s take a look at each outcome above…
Deciding when
It’s one thing to say that you will start exercising. But you are 40% more likely to succeed if you plan out when exactly you will make the time. I recommend you write it down just like you would a doctor’s appointment. So either grab your calendar, or use your smartphone, and simply plug in which days you plan to exercise each week. If you see it staring back at you on your calendar, there is a much higher chance that you follow through.
Planning how
Now that you have decided when exactly you plan to work out, it’s also helpful to decide how, or what you plan on doing. Maybe one day you want to reserve to walk outside since the weather looks nice. Then another day you will take your favorite strength class at the gym. And then the third day you will swim laps. Whatever it is you like to do, having a plan will increase your odds of following through by 50%.
Commit to someone
This is a simple one, but it goes a long way. If you commit to someone your plans of exercising, you won’t want to let them down. This can be done in multiple different ways. Maybe you have a workout buddy that you plan to meet at the gym. Or maybe you tell someone in your household that you are going to work out before dinner. Or you can even go extremely public by posting your commitment on social media. Once you tell people about your plans to exercise, you won’t want to let them down! Therefore your chance of success increases by 65%!
Have a specific accountability appointment with a person you’ve committed to
This is a big one right here. It takes committing to someone one step further. So not only have you expressed your commitment to someone, but now you have a scheduled appointment. You can do this easily by setting a day and time to meet up with your workout buddy. Or you can take it up a notch by hiring a personal trainer. Hiring a personal trainer will not only hold you accountable, but it will make your workouts more effective as well. So it’s really a win-win situation! When you have a scheduled appointment with your trainer, your chances of following through increase by 95% You wouldn’t want to let your trainer down and not show up for an appointment would you?
It doesn’t matter which action step you choose above, just as long as you choose one! We always have the right intentions when it comes to our health and fitness, but following through is an entirely different story. Health and fitness should be a lifelong journey, so why not increase your chances of success by holding yourself accountable? I promise it’s worth it!
Thanks Cornerstone Clubs and author Theresa Whitcomb
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