Hi all! Happy Monday! Coach Mindy here!
Some of us have a hard time getting motivated. We all know that exercise is good for us, we all know that we have to move our bodies daily, and we also know that exercise helps create a calorie deficit which in turn helps us lose weight. But just knowing this doesn’t help us get off our rears and get to moving. What can we do to help us get in gear? May I present to you “Temptation Bundling”.
A Wharton professor, Katy Milkman, coined the term in 2014. Temptation bundling is combining something you NEED to do with something you WANT to do. She conducted a study of college students going to the gym. Some were given audio books that were only accessible during their workout, the other participants were given no incentive to workout. Miltons published study showed that participants using temptation bundling made 51% more workout sessions vs those in the control groups.
Ok, so now we know WHAT temptation bundling is, how can we implement this trick into our exercise routine? Let’s explore shall we. Here are my top 3 temptation bundling strategies.
- Listen to podcasts or audiobooks during exercise. This can be ANY type of exercise from walking your dog to going to the gym to doing a workout video on DVD or YouTube.
- Watching a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu is a great way to temptation bundle. Pick an addictive series and do a workout for each episode. This is best done on a treadmill or moving in place in front of your T.V.
- Using your TV for a circuit training session. Find a show on live T.V. (must have commercials) and use an aerobic step, dance,, or walk in place during the show. During commercials, do strength training exercises.
To make this REALLY stick you must only allow yourself the shows, books, or podcasts during your workout. The study showed that temptation bundling created lasting habits as well so that is a win win. And this also can translate into other activities as well. Getting a pedicure while you pay your bills or answer emails, watch your favorite show while folding laundry, listening to an audiobook while doing the dishes. You get the idea. Best thing to do is make 2 columns on a piece of paper. Label one NEED and the other column WANT, then list the appropriate activities in each column and match them up.
Temptation bundling is a perfect way to build lasting habits and reach your personal goals.
Link to study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381662/
