It’s a well-known fact that social pressure makes you do things maybe normally you wouldn’t do. You run just a little faster when overtaking that hot girl or guy, you do a few more reps because your gym buddy did as well, or you jump a little higher on your skis because you know there’s a camera pointed at you. It’s the very reason why personal training (P.T.) works. Not just because a personal trainer creates a tailor-made workout schedule for you, but mostly because he or she will tell you to keep going when you really don’t want to anymore.
But in the age of social media and personal electronics, having a P.T. is no longer the only way to stay motivated to work on your health. There are several very good mobile apps on the market that will keep you right on track, especially for cardio and endurance workouts like running and cycling. An app like adidas’ Micoach for example, accurately monitors your route, speed, time and personal records. Plus you can set it to give you a mid-run notification when you’re about to shatter your personal best, pushing you further than you ever thought possible. And if that’s not motivating enough, you can post your achievements on Facebook for all your friends to see. What better incentive to go for that run than getting likes from your friends for yet another completed run?
Well, how about money? The ultimate incentive that makes our world go round unfortunately is and will always be cold hard cash. The creators of GymPact must have thought the same thing when conceiving this much talked-about platform that actually pays you for going to the gym, from the money of users who didn’t stick to their workout commitment. Kind of like a positive insurance system for exercising people. The concept is simple: you set the number of days per week you plan to work out and the monetary price you’re willing to pay if you don’t go. If you go you get paid, if you don’t you pay. It might not be a noble reason to commit to working out, but if it gets you the healthy body you’ve always wanted, you might as well give it a try!
