There is a massive drive for health and wellbeing currently. The NHS website says that if exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented.
How do we motivate ourselves to go to the gym?
One of the reasons that people don't go to the gym is a lack of confidence about making it on their own. Or maybe they give up on their gym membership when they lose their training partner—the person who has been encouraging them to go and the one who they can't let down by not going themselves. Other reasons cited for stopping membership at a gym include not knowing what exercises to do when you get there, having no specific programme set for you, not knowing what level to pitch your workout at, or when to change to a new set of exercises.
WiFi - your new gym buddy?
We know ourselves that if we have made a prior commitment to go to a class, we are more likely to attend. So, look for a gym that offers WiFi and use your phone to book a class in advance. Or, even better, book your classes for the rest of the month and plan your other activities around your training sessions at the gym. Make this your commitment to get fit.
As this article tells us, fitness trackers are big news right now. With the promise of tracking fitness and weight loss, they are designed to help encourage you to go further with your fitness and track your improvements and targets. These devices are generally worn like a wristband, but they don't come cheap. However, there are free (or fairly inexpensive) smartphone activity tracking apps that can be downloaded onto your mobile device and used just as easily in the gym.
WiFi while you wait
You may be lucky enough to have a gym buddy, so whilst waiting for them, or whilst waiting for a class, you can use the WiFi the gym provides. Finish off some work, check social media accounts, or even take an interactive tour of the gym. Or check out the classes and events coming up.
Access nutritional advice and workout information
Many gyms will be able to provide you with your own workout programme and information on which workouts are best for you. There will be calorie-counting or fat-burning plans, as well as nutritional advice. This could all be recorded for you in an app that tracks how hard you have worked.
Motivational updates
Linking to a gym's WiFi will enable you to receive motivational posts. Updates could be an alert to remind you about how many calories you will burn per class or training session, or an offer for a free coffee in the café when you attend a new class. You could be sent a reminder of a class you have booked, or a text alert when you haven't been to the gym for over a week. Other alerts might keep you updated on the latest advice for motivation or on certain topics, such as men's fitness .
Personalised offers could be sent to you if you attend the gym over 10 times in a month, with rewards like a free personal training session or even discounts and offers from the sports shop.
Knowledge is power
A gym that has WiFi can often get data analytics on their gym members too. How often do you see an empty training area at the gym while some areas are totally packed out? A gym looking at the behaviour of their members could reinvest in the most popular equipment and make sure that gym space is utilised to enhance member experience. Customers will get exactly the workout experience that they want. This could apply to classes too - if no one turns up to salsa on a Tuesday morning but on a Thursday night too many turn up ready to dance, then the Tuesday session can be quickly changed to beginners' circuits instead.
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