The Results are In (aka Did the Motivation Work?)

The unofficial experiment is officially over and the results are inconclusive.  I was able to drag myself out of bed most mornings during the experiment (actually, every morning) but two days after it ended, I opted to exercise my eyelids by covering my eyes with them for an additional 45 minutes.  I only did it once (yesterday) and I have a VERY good reason.  Anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about my Memphis Grizzlies.  They have been struggling a bit this year but have really made a run for the playoffs as of late.  Well, Wednesday’s game was at home against the defending World Champion Miami Heat (insert copious amounts of boo’s and hiss’s here).  I missed the first half of the game as I was at the Y working but I made it home for the 2^nd half and boy was it a great game!  My boys ended up pulling off the win with a great 4^th quarter and some clutch shots from downtown and the whole place went crazy.  By whole place you would think I meant the FedEx Forum, where they play, but I mean my house.  Yep.  I got crazy.  Maybe not as cray cray as I get when I’m actually at the games but it was loud. 

Of course, by that time it was well past my bed time and I really tried to go right to sleep.  Well, that didn’t happen too quickly so when my alarm went off at 5:15am, I just couldn’t do it.  I had good intentions and just hit snooze once and fell back into a ridiculously good sleep.  Then the alarm went off again and that was when I decided I needed to exercise my right to sleep for a bit longer.  It all worked out, though, because I had time for a run after work before my appointments at the Y.  So really…it’s all good. 

Alas, in the name of science (or something) here is the breakdown of how my motivational tools worked for me. 

·         Sleep in my workout clothes – I promise you I actually did this.  Here’s the proof. 

      

       I actually wasn’t uncomfortable other than I got a tad warm during the night.  This is predominantly because my gym is a bit chilly right now and my bedroom is a perfect temperature so I had to sleep in yoga pants since that’s what I wear to workout on the chilly mornings.  But wearing a sports bra and running singlet was quite comfortable.  I might try this again when my gym gets a bit warmer (aka the weather warms up) and sleep in running shorts rather than yoga pants.  If you struggle to get up early to workout, this really is a great option.  The only thing I had to put on when I woke up were my shoes.  I give this option a 6.5 out of 10.  Rating would be higher if I hadn’t gotten hot. 

 

·         Set my alarm clock on the other side of the room – Not only did I set my alarm/phone on the other side of the room and crank up the volume so I was sure to hear it, the other side of the room is my bathroom so the alarm echoed which really motivated me to get out of bed and shut it off.  This, of course, may have had more to do with not pissing off my neighbors but the end result was the same.  My suggestion if you try this is to not put the alarm on 100% volume J  Just a small suggestion.  I give this option an 8 out of 10. 

 

·         Set up my workout equipment/cd player/yoga mat the night before – I mentioned in my previous post about this experiment that I wasn’t 100% confident in this option.  My workout stuff is ready every morning since it’s set up in my gym so I didn’t really have to do anything extra.   However, knowing that I don’t have to do anything extra in the mornings really does help with the whole getting out of bed thing.  I give this a 4 out of 10 just because I couldn’t fully evaluate it. 

 

·         Change my wake up tone on my alarm – True to my word, I downloaded “Happy” and set that as my alarm tone.  I tell you what.  It definitely is a great way to wake up.  I might not exactly booty shake like this baby did Baby Dancing but I did wake up in a much better mood and humming a little tune.  I give this an 8.5 out of 10.  I strongly recommend using this song or another song that gets your spirits lifted. 

 

·         Post my plans on social media – Again, as I mentioned in my previous post, I was already held accountable via blogging about this experiment so posting on Facebook and Twitter didn’t have the full effect it would probably have otherwise.  However, I will say that it did hold me accountable to all those people that follow me that *gasp* don’t read my blog (they know who they are).  I rate this option as a 7 out of 10 – again if I didn’t have the blog holding me accountable it would probably rate higher.    

 

·         Schedule the time – This really did help.  And that morning I slept in??  Didn’t have it scheduled.  ‘Nuff said… 

·         Make a date – As I suspected, I had difficulty finding a workout buddy (she knows who she is) but I really tried.  Despite not having a workout buddy, I was able to get up and do my workout on time.  My rating for this is based on my previous experience having a workout buddy and I give it a 9 out of 10. 

 

·         Reward myself – Well, how could this NOT be a successful tactic?  I haven’t decided yet what to get but you can be assured it will be workout related.  And probably workout clothes or running shoes because, I am me after all. 

 

In the spirit of full disclosure, I will also add that I started a new workout plan at the same time so that may have added to the motivation.  It’s the new Beachbody workout called “21 Day Fix” and I am trying it with an open mind and will post my review of it after I complete it.  Though, those of you who I talk with regularly know how I feel about the meal plan portion but I will share with everyone at the end. 

In other news, Be True Health & Wellness will be up and running on April 15^th so look for more information on social media and our website (under development).  I will continue to blog under this site for a while but will transition to a blog for BTH&W in the near future.  Thanks for your continued support of Beckley Fitness and your future support of BTH&W. 

BE BOLD! BE YOU!