Borrowing Commitment to Workout: A Guide to Accountability

This week, I would like to share the approach of using other people's commitment to utilize as your own when you yourself can't quite find it in yourself the motivation to follow through on an exercise session as often as you would like to.
Sometimes our own motivation lets us down and we fail to follow through on our fitness plan, but there is a way to leverage the motivation of other people to stay engaged much, much more consistently.
You might know it as accountability.
I'm sure you have heard and read about accountability before and how it can serve as a good source of motivation, but if you have not initiated what it takes to set up an accountability system, it might be because you are unsure what kind accountability would be best suited or you are concerned that having to commit to someone else will act as a source of pressure and will turn you off of working out entirely.
There are a multitude of accountability systems, each with structures that meets different needs, yield different results and provide a different experience.
Accountability can be very a effective tool to have, you just need to know which type of system is right for you.
Here is a list of 4 styles of accountability systems:

Does Ego Serve You in Your Physical Performance?

"I can lift Xxx kgs/lbs"
"I can cycle on the highest gear up a hill"
"I can run at Xxx km/h"


The ego is something we all have that can really pump us up and urge us to perform at a specific level in order to measure up to some sense of greatness. This behaviour shows itself in exercise with the best of us. I myself, until recently was limiting myself to the top 3 gears of my bike because that was the standard I was proud of. I just learnt how much time I can shave by swallowing that pride and actually using lower gears.

This is important to note, if you have a habit of ego anywhere in your exercise or workout routine, then you could be undermining your performance, your growth and development and in some cases you could even be doing yourself harm.

Here are a few examples where ego could be getting in your way:

Exercise Identity

Does exercise have an impact on our identity? Do we change as a person depending on what physical activity we do? Does exercise allow us to express our truest self?

The topic this week is about how exercise impacts our sense of self. What fascinates me is how over the years that I've been practicing the various forms of martial arts, it has led me to adopt certain perceptions of myself. It has impacted my general sense of who I am. But what's more interesting is not only how it has impacted my sense of identity over that time, but how it affects it in the immediate. Have you ever noticed, directly after a workout or training session, your entire sense of self has morphed somehow?

Have You Noticed This About Exercise and Emotion?

Exercise and emotion have such a profound effect on one another. We know that exercise can impact our mood, generally for the better. On the flip side, our mood effects our exercise practice. Not just our motivation, but the level of intensity, the power, our endurance and stamina and our overall performance in that sport and activity.

Out of my fascination of this topic, I thought I would reflect on how exactly exercise and emotion influence one another and share these thoughts with you.