TRY IT: Pay for Skipping the Gym

Image by redjar

The Freakonomics segment in the New York Times today highlights a trial program in Boston that financially penalizes gym members for skipping a workout.

Gym-Pact works with pre-existing gyms to offer members discounted rates. The catch is that you have to show up to your agreed upon workout sessions or be fined for the missed workout.

The program allows you to decide how often you hope to work out and also what your personal fine is for missing a day (the minimum is listed on their website as $10 for a single workout and in the NYT article as $25 for failing to turn up in any given week).

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Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is an outstanding idea for aspiring gym-goers who need a little bit of external motivation.

Most of the time skipped workouts are a question of inertia rather than any real conflict. Providing an immediate form of motivation – rather than promises of long-term health or weight loss – could get you off the couch even when you sort of don’t really feel like it.

Allowing you to choose your own punishment is also brilliant and reminiscent of the income-adjusted speeding tickets in Europe. The penalty needs to mean something or the behavior won’t be modified.

With the ability to change your penalty level during the program, you can also feel out your own sweet spot, raising your charges until you know you won’t miss that zumba class.

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For the Rest of Us

You’re probably wondering how this helps you since chances are you don’t live in the Cradle of Liberty (I didn’t make that up).

You can start by encouraging your gym to join Gym-Pact but short of an instant nationwide expansion, you’re probably going to have to DIY this thing.

Find a sibling or frenemy who would love to take your money and make a deal with them. You bring proof of gym attendance back (stamp from your gym, heart rate monitor results, a photo of you sweating all over that day’s newspaper) or they keep your hard earned cash.

This could also be fun for a group of friends or small office. Everyone who skips a workout adds cash to the pot which can is raffled among the participants who DIDN’T miss any workouts that month. Or you could share the bounty and have an office pizza party!

No, seriously, you can’t. I forbid it.

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Lots of people reward themselves for working out with new clothes, gadgets or equipment for sticking with an exercise program. Have you ever pre-planned a punishment if you skipped workouts? What are other ideas for negative reinforcement besides paying a fine? Do you think parting with your cash would get you off the couch or are you lazy enough to pay for playing hooky from the gym? Tell me what will work on you in the comments.