I exercise every day. And I do, essentially, the same exercise every day. I also do it in the same place – at home. So with all this mind-numbling sameness, how do I stay motivated? Music. And podcasts. And sometimes Netflix.
Gretchen Rubin, author of Better Than Before, a book about how habits can make our lives better, has a great piece of advice about ingraining a habit into your life when it’s something you don’t particularly want to do.
For many people (most?), exercise would be one of those habits. Rubin suggests: bribery.
Well, basically. She says you need to link the think you don’t really want to do, to something you DO want to do.
LISTEN: The Mamamia Out Loud team share the recommendations that will make your life better, including a playlist you’ll want to sing along to at the top of your lungs.
My friend Bec, only lets herself watch her favourite Netflix show (whatever it happens to be at the time) when she’s on the treadmill. I save particular podcasts for when I exercise and lately, I’ve been pumping myself up with music.
When you stop going to clubs and bars and parties and you grow old and wisened and lose control of your pelvic floor (woo! aging!), you can find yourself suddenly realising that you never listen to pumping beats anymore. And that’s a bit sad because who doesn’t like a driving beat or a catchy hook?
Who doesn’t like Beyonce singing Crazy In Love or Salt N Pepa singing Let’s Talk About Sex or C&C Music Factory belting out Things That Make You Go Hmm…
