Why it pays to try to look good at the gym: Just going to the gym can be a workout in itself. Everything from your family's busy schedule to the quality of your sleep last night can threaten to derail you. One surprising thing that can help you stay on track: the clothes you wear.
According to a new survey of 2 gym-goers, 000 out of 9 people feel motivated to break a sweat just by wearing their workout gear. For 10%, owning “good” activewear is a crucial step in achieving their fitness goals.
“Confidence is half the battle, and having workout gear that showcases your hard work really helps motivate you to sweat,” said Alex Hanson, co-founder of Barbell Apparel, who conducted the survey.
Why it pays to try to look good at the gym
Your sports clothes don't appeal to you à the door to your spin class. The survey found that 9 in 10 people believe that wearing performance-based clothing also helps them excel.
“When you look good, you feel good and you feel motivated to do a little more,” agrees Angie Fifer, certified mental performance consultant and executive board member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. “When we love our activewear, it also encourages us to wear it more, which means we exercise more often.”
Before you get dressed, however, you need to get off the couch.
“It takes courage, strength, determination and just plain overcoming your mind to succeed in a gym,” says Andrew C. Barker, a certified personal trainer at Life Time Fitness in San Antonio, Texas.
Feeling tired is a trick your brain likes to play, but it doesn't last long. “Most of the time, that feeling of exhaustion will go away once you start moving with a purpose,” says Barker.
To dispel that feeling of inertia and stick with your exercise routine, try the following expert tips:
To be responsible. Talking to others about the upcoming workout helps 33% of survey respondents stick with it. Post a photo of your yoga mat on Instagram, tell your friends the time of your next CrossFit class, or at the very least, schedule a workout on your calendar. “We are more likely to stick to a routine when we write it down,” says Fifer.
Don't do it alone. The survey found that 34% of people found group classes and their “we’re in this together” mentality encouraging. (And another 11% admit that a crush on a fellow gymnastics enthusiast helps them show up and train.) You can also find a virtual friend — someone who works to achieve their fitness goals. form and who wishes to communicate with you online. “A check-in together can help you get through to the end,” says Fifer.
Make a playlist. Thirty-nine percent of sports fans swear that their favorite songs put them in the right frame of mind. (And more than half of sports fans consider music essential.)
Set yourself up for success. Nearly half of survey respondents say they prepare before training by drinking plenty of water or eating healthily. You can also put on your workout clothes the day before your morning workout or bring your gear to work out so you don't go home first and get lost, suggests Fifer.
Expect to fall off the wagon. Or, treadmill. “A lot of times we fall through life, and going to the gym is at the bottom of our to-do list,” Barker says. When – not if – this happens to you, show yourself a little compassion. Set new goals that excite you or reestablish old ones. Come back slowly so as not to overdo it and hurt yourself. And of course, it doesn't hurt to be motivated to buy new gym equipment.
Remember: “Your fitness is not the result of what you do today. It’s the culmination of what you’re willing to do every day,” says Hanson. “In the end, those who achieve the best results are rarely the most talented, but almost always the most motivated.”
Check out the survey's top 15 things that keep people coming back to the gym:
- See results in their body: 58,7%
- Putting on sports clothes: 58,2%
- Drink plenty of water: 46,3%
- Go with a partner: 44,8%
- Eat a healthy breakfast: 43,3 percent
- Setting achievable goals: 40,2%
- Listening to a psych-up playlist: 38,8%
- Join a class at their gym: 34,3%
- Morning workout: 33,8%
- Prior consumption of a healthy snack: 33,6%
- Speaking of going: 33,0 percent
- Eat a healthy breakfast: 32,5 percent
- Telling your partner you're going: 32,1%
- Being able to track your progress: 32,0%
- Telling a colleague you're going: 29,7%
