Ugh. If you’re just not a naturally active person, dragging yourself out of bed in the morning to hit the gym is on par with restricting yourself to the salad at an all-you-can-eat buffet; or stopping yourself at just one episode of New Girl when you’ve got the box set right there. Yeah. That. Hard. And committing to exercising after work is no easier. But what if you could trick yourself into a work out? It really is possible. Read on to find out how.
1. Easy Does It. Tell yourself you only have to work-out for seven minutes – and then you can stop. It only takes six minutes for feel-good exercise endorphins to kick in, says Wayne Westcott, a fitness researcher and instructor of exercise science in the US, so you’re more than likely to want to keep going!
2. Grab A Buddy. Women in a Kansas State University study who worked out with a buddy who was 40 per cent fitter than they were exercised harder and longer than they otherwise would have—and didn’t feel more tired. The researchers say 40 per cent is the “sweet spot” at which your workout partner is good enough to inspire you but not so fit that you can’t keep up.
3. Dance. Whether you’re hitting a zumba class or burning up the d-floor at Mahiki on a Friday night, busting moves can be a killer workout. Not only will it be way more fun than a traditional work out, but for every hour you’re shakin’ it, you can burn up to 400 calories.
4. Eat Chocolate. Yep, you read that correctly. Don’t go crazy, but promising yourself a few squares of the sweet stuff at the end of your workout might just be enough to kick your brain – and your butt – into gear. “What motivates me to exercise on those days when I just don’t feel like doing it is my piece of chocolate at the end of the workout as a reward,” reveals Simone De La Rue, a fitness expert who has helped sculpted the bodies of Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, and Karolina Kurkova. “It’s often difficult to get started, but once you have finished you will feel so much better, and so will your sweet tooth.”
5. Check Out Pinterest. Create a ‘Fitspo’ board full of dream bodies (hello, Miranda Kerr’s toned legs!), fun activities and deliciously healthy food. Just seeing the pics will be enough for your brain to register positive feelings towards a hot bod, tricking you into getting moving.
6. Fire Your Maid. We know, cleaning your own loo doesn’t sound very appealing, but doing chores like vacuuming burns about 180 calories an hour and scrubbing your bath for 20 minutes? That’s 200 calories zapped! Even ironing can be a workout – make sure you stand up straight and engage your ab muscles to strengthen your core.
7. Put On Your ‘Kini. “Spend as much time in your bathing suit as possible so you are constantly aware of your figure,” says former Survivor finalist Matty Whitmore and personal trainer. So when you get home, trade your work clothes for your two-piece and go about your nigh. We bet you’ll find yourself squeezing in at least a few squats in between episodes of Scandal.
8. Pump Up Some Tunes. Anything that get’s you psyched will work. Our particular fave? Britney’s Work B*tch. Not only will the thought of how damn fine Brit is looking these days motivate you, but the lyrics, c’mon. They’re made to kill any laziness you might be harbouring. “You want a hot body? You want a Bugatti? You want a Maserati? You better work.” Don’t we know it!
9. Make Yourself Accountable. Even though we’re our own worst critics, we also are our own worst enablers. We’ll set our minds to one thing on Sunday and by Monday morning we’re onto something else. So get some help by having others holding you accountable too. Tell your family, friends and colleagues your plans to hit the gym at least three times this week. Tweet it. Post a Facebook status about it. Knowing others will question you about it will force you into sticking to it.
10. Train Your Brain. Normally, the release of dopamine makes us feel good about completing a goal, like an awesome session as the gym. If it happens reliably enough, it’ll also help you form good (and bad) habits. Think about something you love doing (like watching an episode of your fave show, or soaking in the tub) and then reward yourself with it every time you exercise. After a while, your brain will associate the regular release of dopamine with the exercise, and you’ll feel compelled to lace up your trainers. So much so, that you won’t necessarily need the reward anymore. Sure, it’s a bit like how you’d train a dog, but we’re all animals and we all respond to reward in similar ways, so there’s no need to feel silly.
11. Cook Up A Storm. Baking something like a cake that would usually mean digging out your electric mixer? Trade it in for a whisk instead. That elbow grease can burn up to 50 calories in about 10 minutes. Mix for long enough and you can probably negate the calories you’re about to consume too!
12. Use Your Ego. Invest in a fitness monitor (like Jawbone or FitBit) that keeps track of your movements, like how many steps you take a day, how far you walk and even how much water you’re drinking, and create your own personal challenges to set new records. Better still – set challenges with others too! “Using a monitor/app like this instantly gets you more in-tune with the actual amount of activity you have each day. Because it syncs with your friends or family, you can use it as a game or ramp up your ego and compete with each other for higher stakes. This creates a more fun relationship to being active. I constantly catch myself adding a few thousand extra steps to my day just to keep up with friends,” says Jen Groover, former fitness competitor and author of What If? and Why Not?: How to Transform Your Fears Into Action.