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Hack it! Two behavioral economics-based tricks to make exercising a habit

21 Jun, 2016

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This month, we’re celebrating awesome ways to keep yourself motivated to meet your fitness and financial goals. Our Chief Behavioral Economist Dan Ariely recommends using habits to help you keep on target with your workouts!


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With so many demands on our time and priorities to manage, it can be hard to squeeze consistent exercise into our busy schedules. How can we make sure to take time for ourselves and work out when there are so many other things to do (like watching cat videos to watch from the comfort of our sofa)?

While he can’t promise to make you love working out, Qapital Chief Behavioral Economist and world-renowned researcher Dan Ariely says making going to the gym a habit is one way to make sure you at least show up.

“Working out every day takes a lot of ongoing willpower,” he says. Here are his two secrets to taking willpower out of the equation and making workouts a habit.

Make Exercising Social


Plan to meet friends or colleagues at the gym or in the park and work out during your ‘meetings’.

“This kind of social obligation is likely to hold you, and them, accountable to show up, and once you have shown up, you might as well start sweating.”

If peer pressure can help encourage us to do, shall we say questionable things, why not give it a try to make a positive change?

Recruit Rover


One sure-fire way to get yourself out of the house is by getting a dog. Find your nearest local shelter and adopt a new best friend!

“Once you make this quick one-time decision, you are going to go for daily walks for the next decade.”

Nothing like having a living creature relying on you to help you hit those recommended 10,000 steps per day! Just make sure you’re ‘a dog person’ before signing the paperwork.

These suggestions and quotes originally appeared on TIME.comWhat are some of your workout hacks? Tweet us @Qapitalapp and we’ll share your tips and tricks with our community!

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