Was your New Year’s Resolution to ‘get in shape’? Did you join a gym or (re)commit to going reguarly?
To get the most out of that gym membership you actually need to go. Sometimes that is easier said than done.
A study by Which found that in the UK we waste £37m on unused gym memberships.
Many of us join a gym in the New Year with every intention of getting in shape. Then life happens – you need to work late, you feel too tired to go, a social engagement comes up. Before you know it, weeks have passed, and you haven’t crossed the gym floor once. You are not alone as about 80% of New Year resolutions fail by February.
Sound familiar? Luckily there are things you can do to get and stay motivated to maximise your investment in a gym membership.
So how can you make the most of your gym membership and avoid wasting money?
1. Clarify your why. Knowing why you have joined the gym helps with motivation and commitment. So, get clear on your goals. Did you join to lose weight, tone a specific part of your body, run faster or lift heavier weights? Keep this why at the fore front of your mind.
2. Break your goal down into specific behaviours. Write down simple positive statement with phrases like ‘I will’, ‘I have’, or ‘I am’. Use a ‘doing’ word, and include a timescale and how you would measure it. For example, I will go to the gym twice a week or I will take a yoga class twice a week. The best way to think about this is to ask yourself ‘if someone else was watching me what would they say I was doing?’.
3. Pick one behaviour that will have the biggest impact and is easy to do – what’s the one behaviour that is most likely you get you into the gym? For example, sign up to a class every week, book sessions with a personal trainer once a week, commit to going with a friend twice a week.
4. Write down what you commit to doing. Writing it down and sharing it with people who can hold you accountable is really powerful.
5. To make it more likely that you will use your membership there are three things to consider:
o Capability – Do you know how to exercise? Do you have the right physical skills, information and knowledge? If you don’t then you could make use of your gym‘s free personal trainer session.
o Motivation – Be clear on why you have joined the gym (what’s your why from no.1).
o Opportunity – Make sure your gym is easy to get to and has opening hours that suit you.
6. Make an action plan tailored for your needs, for example:
o Schedule in time. The more time you allow to lapse between gym visits the harder it will be to get back to it. Get your workouts in your diary and stick to it.
o Go with a friend. Find someone who will hold you accountable and make it more likely you will go. But plan to still go even if they can’t make it.
o Make it easy. Prepare your gym bag with everything you need the night before.
o Monitor. Keep track of your progress and remember it’s all about progress not perfection.
Best wishes
Eleanor
Share your ‘gym goals’ in the comments below.
Behaviour Works aim is simple. To help make change happen in your personal, family or working life. Every week we help people across the world with their own change journey with our online training. Check us out at Behaviour Works.
Main Photo by Maria Fernanda Gonzalez on Unsplash
