The How and Why!
Have you ever found yourself, after a grueling week of workouts, standing in front of the mirror flexing and thinking, “Man, I should reward myself for this!” But then the voice in your head chimes in, “But wait! Isn’t the reward the results you see in the mirror?” While that’s not entirely untrue, today we’re going to talk about a different kind of reward.
The What: Understanding Reward Systems
Reward systems, in a nutshell, are a series of incentives you set up to keep yourself motivated on your fitness journey. Think of it like a carrot on a stick, but instead of a carrot, it’s a new pair of running shoes or a weekend getaway. And instead of a stick, it’s a fitness milestone like dropping a pant size or doing your first pull-up.
The Why: Benefits of a Fitness Reward System
Here’s the deal: Working out is hard. Some days you have the energy and some days you feel like a sloth. On those sloth-like days, having a reward to look forward to can be just the push you need to get off the couch and into the gym.
Not only that, but rewarding yourself also helps reinforce positive behavior. Each time you reward yourself, you’re cementing that link between the action (working out) and the reward. Over time, this helps form habits – and habits are the foundation of a sustainable fitness journey.
The How: Creating Your Own Reward System
Now we get to the fun part – creating your own fitness reward system. Here’s how you can go about it:
- 1 Set Clear Fitness Goals: These should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). Maybe it’s to run 5K without stopping, or maybe it’s to do 20 push-ups in a row.
- 2 Decide On Rewards: This is the fun part. Your rewards can be anything that brings you joy and doesn’t undermine your progress. Maybe it’s a new piece of fitness equipment, a fancy dinner out, or maybe going to a baseball game.
- 3 Link Each Reward to a Fitness Goal: For example, if your goal is to run 5K, maybe your reward is a new pair of running shoes.
- Celebrate When You Hit Your Goals
- 4 Celebrate When You Hit Your Goals: This is key. When you hit your goal, take the time to really celebrate it. Enjoy your reward and bask in the glow of your achievement.
- 5 Repeat: Goals met? Rewards redeemed? Great! Now it’s time to set some new goals and start the cycle again.
In Conclusion
Creating a fitness reward system isn’t about distracting yourself from the pain or difficulty of working out. Instead, it’s about acknowledging the effort you’re putting in and making the journey more enjoyable.
So, go ahead, set up your reward system and start working towards those goals. After all, as the saying goes, “All work and no play makes a man a dull” And we definitely don’t want to be dull.
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