Workout or Be Cited!!

I made it to the gym yesterday and, as I had predicted, the place was PACKED.

Packed with people who won’t be there in a few weeks, if it takes that long.

Why?

Because they will not stick with it. Most of the new people are those who are well intentioned and made resolutions to get in shape, back to the gym, etc.

And as statistics show, most people give up on their resolutions fairly soon into a new year. They lack the discipline and perseverance we need to attain our goals and dreams.

Now two recent Harvard graduates have come up with a novel idea–to FINE people when they miss a workout.

It’s all through a web app they’ve come up with that lets you set how many days a week you plan to go to the gym and for how long (you must commit to at least 1 day and 30 minutes per workout).

Then you choose how much you want to be cited (minimum of $5) per missed workout.

You first question was probably the same one I asked–how does it know whether you workout or not?

Well that’s what GPS is for, silly!!

See, your smartphone knows where you are at all times (currently it is only available for iPhone, but soon for Android and others) and even warns you if you’ve left before the workout is complete.

If you miss a workout, the credit card you set up the account with is automatically charged.

The theory is that financial penalties have a tendency to correct our behavior and being fined will be a good incentive to not miss the gym.

What do you think?

I think the incentive has to be deeper than that.

You won’t ultimately get yourself to the gym as often as you need to (or even just WORKOUT period, even without a gym you can take walks, lift weights, be more active, etc.) until you promise yourself deep down in your soul and psyche that this is what your body and mind require to be healthy and happy.

In the end, you need to workout because it is BEST for you and those you love. Not because your credit card will be charged.