The One Workout Secret That'll Motivate You Like No Other
The secret to motivating yourself to stay fit.
twinsterphoto | Canva By Jenny Sugar
Am I naturally motivated to exercise four times a week? Heck no!
While doing it to have energy, to act as a role model for my kids, and to be strong and healthy for myself are huge motivators, some days I'm, like, "Forget this. Can't I just sleep or eat all day instead?"
To keep me bolted to the healthy path, I have a few tricks up my capris for those days when I'm just not feeling it: this workout piggy bank is definitely one of them.
Working out is great for the body and mine, but it doesn't always feel like that when you have to wake up early because it's the only time you work out. This way, it's like I'm getting paid to work out, and nothing motivates me like money does
For every completed 30- to 60-minute workout, I take a dollar from my wallet and place it in the jar. For longer, more intense workouts (like my recent half-marathon training runs), I pay myself $5.
Yes, it is technically my money, to begin with, but being able to put a dollar into my workout piggy bank gets me psyched. Once the jar is filled, I'm like an 8-year-old after a night of trick-or-treating: I lay out all the money, count it up, and then think about how I want to spend it — in a healthy way, of course.
I used it to splurge on a pricey fitness top I normally would never buy, or this time around, I'm putting it toward that GPS watch I've had my eye on. Not only do I get rewarded for my hard work, but using the reward that comes from the money I have saved also reminds me how hard I've been working and makes me want to keep it up.
The jar sits on my kitchen counter, so I see it a few times a day. It stares back at me when I'm thinking about eating ice cream for dinner, prompts me to pack a healthy lunch, and reminds me to get that load of laundry in the washer so I have a sports bra for tomorrow's workout.
It also lets me know that if I keep being good, I get to treat myself.
It acts as a visual reminder that, although my workouts are just a small part of my day, they are priceless in the grand scheme of things — and a huge investment in my future health
Jenny Sugar is a freelance writer and former staff writer at PopSugar. She has been featured on MSN, Fox News, Yahoo News, and more.