| It's easy to look at someone else's success story and get motivated - whether it's losing weight, running a marathon or some other health and fitness related goal. Sometimes, it's even easy to set your own goal and get started. But, eventually, the excitement and enthusiasm wears off, and often times you find yourself right back where you started. Fitness guru Chalene Johnson always says that it takes 21 days to change a habit. That's kind of a long time if you start to miss or crave something in particular. If you want to adopt and maintain a new habit, it helps to not be alone. |  |
If you sign up for a class, join a workout group or make plans to meet up with someone for a workout, your chances of skipping that workout are a lot lower, no matter how tired you are or how much you'd rather do something else. Not only does working out with a buddy increase your chances of sticking with a program, but it turns out that we also tend to push ourselves a little harder too! Research at Michigan State University's Department of Kinesiology showed that not only does a workout buddy motivate you more, but this holds true for a "virtual" workout buddy as well - this can be anything from an online gaming system to a Facebook group. The reason? Accountability. When you know that someone else will take notice to not only the frequency of your workouts, but your effort level too, you're going to show up and work hard!
 | Maybe working out more isn't your goal. Maybe you really need help with sticking to a healthier eating plan. Guess what? There are groups for that too! There are more traditional groups like Weight Watchers, but also new virtual groups like DietBet. Oddly, the human mind works in a way that we're more inclined to stick to a plan if we feel like we'd be letting someone else down instead of ourselves. It's kind of like social "tough love". |
The ultimate example of this phenomenon is The Biggest Loser. The contestants on the show are in a group, they are living out their journey in the public eye and they are competing for a prize. Talk about accountability! The good news is, you don't have to be on the Biggest Loser to meet a health and fitness goal. There are so many ways to gain accountability. One example is the Beachbody Challenge Group. Beachbody created a system where you combine a workout program with a nutrition overhaul. There is even a chance to win some pretty awesome cash prizes! And you do it all from the comfort of your own home. Are you a social person and would rather get out of the house, but can't find a fitness buddy? Fitness magazine has 7 suggestions for you!
The bottom line? Accountability works. Even better? It's not just for health and fitness. It's can be used for any goal you set for yourself. Check out these steps for holding yourself accountable:
|  hellomornings.org |
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Have you ever been part of an accountability group? How did it help you meet your goal?
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