Reward Yourself After A Tough Workout

It’s natural to want to reward yourself after you do something good. In fact, it helps build that behavior and make you look forward to it. It doesn’t matter whether your task is finishing a term paper, cleaning out the closet or doing a tough workout, an immediate reward is important. However, no matter what you’re rewarding yourself for, there are healthy and unhealthy rewards. While it might not be as important in some kinds of endeavors, choosing a healthy option is ultra important when you’re trying to get fit. Here are a few rewards that encourage you to keep going. Since each person is different, not all of them may be right for you.

Put yourself on the payroll.

You go to work for your paycheck and hopefully because you like what you do, but even if you don’t, that paycheck is still incentive. Consider creating a fund where you tuck away a few dollars, or even some change, every time you workout. Depending on how much you put away, set a specific amount you want to save for something special. No matter what you’re putting away, make the amount be enough so that it reaches your goal in six weeks if you’re working out three days a week. That means 18 different deposits. Within six weeks, you’ll see the results of your efforts and you might not even need that payment.

Give yourself a break.

Giving yourself a break doesn’t mean you don’t workout. It just means you do a workout you love. If you’re sticking with the program at the gym, every other week take one day to roller blade, go dancing, take a hike or swim. Those all help you get into shape, but can be a huge reward. While your favorite activity may not provide a workout to all muscle groups or address all types of fitness, that’s what the gym is for, this is a reward.

Carve out some time to do absolutely nothing.

Of course, that nothing can be anything from just sitting in a quiet, dark room—-I know some moms who would love that—to watching TV, taking a nap or reading a book. It all depends on what is relaxing and rewarding to you. Give yourself a few minutes of rest and relaxation without feeling guilty for doing a good job at the gym or save it up and take a whole hour for yourself once a week.

• Create goals you can reach each week and take the time to celebrate each success. The goals may be simple, like working out three times that week, or more refined like lifting heavier weight.
• Track your progress and check your improvement. While most people recommend tracking weight and the number of reps, how about tracking how easy the workout is. When you switch from struggling to easy, not only is it time to move on, it’s also a reward and time to celebrate.
• One of the reasons people do so well at our gym is that kickboxing is fun. The actual reward is coming to the workout!
• One study found that while getting paid for working out helps, paying for days you skipped your workout was more effective. Get a workout partner, decide on the value for each workout and you each put 18 times that in a jar (6 weeks, 3 times a week.) Whoever misses a workout, pays the other guy the agreed amount of money.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club