(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)
A lot of good things can be said about motivation when it comes to sticking to a regular fitness routine. Motivation makes us feel mentally pumped-up; it energizes; it’s about seeing physical results and wanting to go even harder and faster. But motivation is impossible to sustain 24 hours a day, every day. When your alarm goes off before the sun rises and the very last thing you want to do is get out from under the covers? Enter: accountability.
Accountability is what gets you out of bed at 5am for a morning run when you know your friend is waiting for you. It causes you to do things like fill out exercise and nutrition logs, so you can go back and look at your progress and make sure you’re staying on track with your goals.
People are much more likely to stick with something if they hold themselves accountable in some way. For some it can be as simple as making a decision and telling a friend they’re serious about sticking to it — but could that friend please check in once in a while, just to make sure they’re staying on track? Other people need something more structured. Me? I can go both ways, depending on the goal. With certain things, I have no problem sticking to my plan — but with other things I do much better if I have backup.
A good example of something I need to hold myself accountable to is my 101 Things list. (Maybe because it’s a long-term goal, and not something I work on every day or a certain amount of time per week?) I hold myself accountable to completing the things on my list by posting monthly updates, no matter what.
When a goal is more short-term and I’m not holding myself accountable, I tend to get into trouble. I announced last month that I’d like to be able to do at least 10 standard push-ups by Labor Day. I can do 5 of them at this point, but I only have a month to go — and last month I could already do 3-4. That’s not a lot of progress. But I’m sure a big part of it is due to the fact that I haven’t been following any kind of specific plan.
Here are 6 ways to hold yourself accountable:
1. Use a website like SparkPeople or Traineo to track your exercise and food intake.
Advantages: It’s convenient and easy to use. It’s also helpful to see changes made over time.
Disadvantage: Having to remember what exercises you did (or what you ate) once you get back to a computer — either that or you have to write it down and then transfer it to the computer later, so you may be duplicating your efforts.
Other electronic options: track your activity using Twitter; commit to posting regular before-and-after photos on your blog; start a new blog that’s specifically set up to track your activity and progress.
Ali at The Office Diet describes the benefits of keeping a food/exercise diary.
2. Use a paper journal (like one of these free downloads from FitSugar)
Advantage: You don’t have to go online if you don’t want to.
Disadvantage: There could potentially be a lot of paper to keep track of.
Maria Kang gives 6 Tips to Start Running in the Morning, one of which is to “Keep a running calendar on your wall.” Maria says she’s “a very visual person who constantly needs to see reinforcement of what I am doing. I hate to see blank spots so it motivates me to have none!”
3. Hire a personal trainer
Knowing that someone is going to meet you at a particular time, kick your butt, and you’re paying them to do it? Sounds like a great way to hold yourself accountable!
Legally Heidi wants to hire a personal trainer to get her back on track.
4. Sign up for a class
How about trying boot camp for 6 weeks, or an 8-week dancing class? A recommendation — if you’re just starting out, try a class that lasts a certain period of time rather than something that goes on indefinitely. If you don’t care for it after the time is up, you can always try something new.
5. Work out with a friend or partner
I don’t currently work out with a friend, but there are certain situations where it’s nice to have company. I had a great time with my sister when I took her to my gym last month when she came for a visit. It would also be fun to have company when I go out to ride my bike.
That’s Fit: Working Out as a Couple
Isaac at Got Strength?: The Pros and Cons of Group Exercise
6. Establish your own “fitness rules”
I hadn’t thought of it this way before I read Jacki’s post at That’s Fit about her five fitness rules, but I tend to adhere to this more than anything else right now. I don’t want to carry paper around with me; it can be annoying to me to track my activity online; I don’t have a personal trainer; I don’t work out with a friend.
The “fitness rules” that I follow are making sure I work out with weights three days a week (unless I’m out of town). I don’t stay on a strict schedule for the other stuff, but it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll find time for walking, running, and biking throughout a typical week.
What helps you stay on track?
15 Comments
I so need to buy a wall calendar. Right now, my day planner is coded with all my work out commitments. I make sure to drive by my gym almost daily so even if I don’t feel like doing it, I feel guilty about not stopping (even if its for a little bit).
I would love to find a running partner might have to advertise somewhere for that.
Having a training goal (like the marathon) really helps me. It changes my running from this abstract fitness mechanism to a goal-oriented activity. Having a trainer has been great for me too. I’m with you on the pushups. Have you been to the 100 pushups challenge website? He’s got a great 3x/week pushup training schedule that I’m thinking of trying…
I’ve paid for my marathon and told everyone I know (so they always ask) and I work with a group for training so these help keep me accountable. I also set personal goals each week and have someone (Jen) to share them with to help cheer me on and get refocused when things go off track. For me, as long as I post it and verbalize it instead of keeping it to myself I find it much easier to stay on track rather than ‘make excuses’ to only myself when I slip up.
Good tips in the post!
~K
I have learned that guilt is what keeps me going the most. I hate the feeling at the end of the week, if I look back and think “wow, I ate really badly this week or I didn’t work out enough.†I know those feelings will linger and cause me some anxiety about my appearance. Therefore, on days where I am feeling under motivated or want that extra helping, I try to think ahead and ask myself “is this going to make me feel guilty or full of regret, if so, do something differentâ€. That definitely gets my butt to the gym and makes me think twice about having another piece of bread.
sweetsandsweats.wordpress.com
Thinking back to how I was when I was 15-20 pounds heavier helps me stay motivated. I wasn’t overweight (at the upper limit of my weight range) but I was very out of shape and always tired. Now, I’m at 130, I have tons of energy, more self-confidence, and I don’t put on weight no matter how much I eat.
Great tips. I love having a class because then I NEED to go to it and its already paid for and all. But when I don’t have classes to go to, I still hold myself accountable by tracking my exercise on a calendar. Seeing those blank squares every day make me want to fill it up!
Great post. As a runner, races are what keeps me motivated. If I know I’m training for a race, it definitely gets me up and out running.
Ny fitness rules:
Consistency: Work out regularly.
Variety: Change up what you do.
Intensity: Keep pushing yourself.
Patience: It takes time
Rest: Take care of your joints. Don’t over do it.
I found this post from your link to The Office Diet (thanks, by the way! :-))
Tip #6 is a great one. I’m in the habit of going to the gym 3 times a week at lunchtime, but I’m leaving my job at the end of this month to full-time freelance and won’t have that structure to my day anymore. (I also won’t be anywhere near the gym!)
So I reckon thinking up some fitness rules will help keep me on track…
I’m giving you an award Zandria (the Brillante Weblog 2008). Check out my blog for details.
Hope you had a great Wednesday!!
sweetsandsweats.wordpress.com
10 standard push ups by Labor Day is definitely possible! In fact, I, random amorphous blog dude, now hold you accountable for meeting the stated goal. :)
It has always helped me to workout with someone – whether it’s to meet someone for a class, hire a personal trainer, or schedule walks with a friend. This summer my husband and I have been taking a Boot Camp class and it holds me accountable in two ways – one, we’re doing it together so if one of us doesn’t feel like going, we talk each other into showing up… and two, I know at the end of the 6-week class we will find out how much we’ve improved in things like the number of pushups we can do, how long it takes us to run a mile, plus changes in our body fat percentage… so I don’t want to skip class because I want those results!!!
what worked for me initially was having accountability partners with whom I DIDNT exercise.
people who knew of my goals, would check in with me, but didnt workout with me.
somehow this motivated me and I didnt start to resent my friends :)
Hm, I just started working with a personal trainer and that has helped. Also, I know this can be dangerous, but I weigh myself almost every day now. But my greatest motivation lately has been my boyfriend telling me that he can really tell how hard I’ve been working at the gym – and he doesn’t throw around compliments – and it really pushes me to work even harder. :)
Great ideas! I’ve been holding myself accountable by blogging about it… Oh, I should also promise an “after” pic! Yeah, I’ll do that too. Yikes! :)