Happy Wednesday everyone! It’s become painfully clear to me that losing weight is much, much harder than maintaining it (and much harder than I anticipated).  While I’ve found it fairly easy to change my eating habits, finding the time to consistently make it to the gym has proven to be quite a chore.  So when I saw this study published in the American Economic Association and reported in the Atlantic, I thought I’d give the concept a try.  The study looked at an effective way to improve consistent gym attendance through financial incentives.

It’s quite simple actually, the researchers found that “self funded commitment contracts can improve the long-term effects of an incentive program”.  Simply put, you’re much more likely to consistently make those gym dates when you’re in a contract with yourself with a financial incentive attached.

I’ve decided to give this concept a try and have set the terms of my contract as follows:

1) Workout (anywhere) 5 days a week – $5

2) Workout for a minimum of 30 minutes 3x/week – $5

3) Workout for a minimum of 1 hour 2x/week – $5

My contract is effective today and I’ve appointed a good friend to keep me accountable.  While I’m not tying this to a gym membership as was originally studied by the researchers, I’m hoping that the effects are comparable.  I’ll be sure to keep you updated on my progress and the efficacy of a self funded commitment contract.

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Thank you for reading! Let me know how you stay motivated to consistently workout in the comments section below!