5 Ways to Boost Your Will to Workout
Don’t have the drive to exercise at the end of the day? We have tips to help you recover your will to workout.
By Camille Noe Pagan
It’s after work, and you’re at an intersection. Turn right and you go to the gym. Turn left and you head home. You push the turn signal. Home it is.
You tell yourself you’re lazy and weak. But you’re not, and a new study reveals why. Maybe you just used up all your discipline for the day. A recent study from Florida State University reveals that self-control is a resource, rather than a character trait. “That means it can be depleted over the course of the day,” says Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., a health psychologist and fitness instructor at Stanford University who has conducted extensive research in the area of self-control.
If you spend your morning talking yourself out of having a burger and fries for lunch, or are focused on completing a big work project, it’s natural not to have the drive to exercise at the end of the day.
“However, research shows that if you’re feeling worn-down, you can restore your willpower,” says McGonigal. There are ways to recover the strength to exercise or do any other task that requires discipline. Try these five tips:
• Focus on fun. “Exercise requires more self-control if you don’t enjoy it,” says McGonigal. “So find an activity you love—whether it’s a dance class, yoga, or something you did as a kid, like group sports—and you’ll be far more likely to fit it in, even if you’ve been using self-control all day.”
• Exercise in the a.m. If, try as you might, breaking a sweat just doesn’t excite you, make it one of the first things you do in your day; that’s when your self-control reserves are highest.
• Reward yourself before you break a sweat. “Most people think you should reward yourself after you accomplish a feat. But research shows that treating yourself in some small way—like watching a few minutes of a favorite sitcom—beforehand improves your mood, which can boost your willpower,” says McGonigal.
• Turn on the tunes. “Again, it’s all about improving your mood,” says McGonigal. “If you get in your car after work and put on a song you love, you’ll feel energized and happy, and that can motivate you to drive to the gym instead of heading home.”
• Take a quick snooze. “Willpower tends to be especially low when we’re tired,” says McGonigal. “So if you’re exhausted, consider taking a 20-minute nap. You’ll recharge both physically and mentally, which can give you the extra shot of discipline you need to lace up your gym shoes and get out the door.”
More motivation resources:
Creating an Exercise Plan and Sticking to It
Psych Yourself Up for Exercise
Making Your Workout Well-rounded
