Today we are going to talk about accountability. As we all know too well, it is hard to maintain motivation for fitness. Our lives move quickly and if we do not have something to hold us accountable, many times we will let our goals slip away. There are many ways to keep ourselves accountable. We will discuss three things that I have seen work in the past.

1. Working with a Personal Trainer.

First, I am not telling you this because this is my job. Using a personal trainer forces you to put a time into your calendar where you are scheduled to get a workout in, and if you miss that appointment you lose money. I don’t know about you, but if I know I will lose money if I don’t go workout, then I will be there. Not only does it hold you accountable, it keeps you from getting bored. If you went to the gym every day with the same program, it would lose its luster over time. Working with a trainer allows you to try new things as frequently as you want or are able. When I go to the gym, I typically will work out with other trainers to try different things and to keep me motivated.

2. Trying a Group Exercise Class

Group exercise is an awesome way to hold you accountable. Many times, in these classes, the instructors and other participants get to know you. Classes create a sense of community. This community recognizes when you are absent from class. For me, this is key. Having someone else count on you when you aren’t feeling motivated will help fight the urge to stay on the couch. 

3. Signing up for an event

This is one of my personal favorites! Signing up for a 5K or any other fitness related event is excellent for someone that needs a specific goal to get excited. This is something that forces people to put a deadline on a goal. I like to use a couch to 5K program to get people started and then as you progress you set a race date. When you set the date, it makes the goal real and if you procrastinate training you know you will regret it. Doing this with a group is even more effective because the group pushes each other to continue with training.