September 26, 2019 - 13 - "The App Made Me Do It"

Trick # 1-Pretty In Pink

      Sorry. I’m going to talk one more time (at least) about how great I’m doing on the fitness front.  It’s not that I’m trying to brag about it.  (Well, I am pretty proud of myself.) . It's more like everything I write about:  I write in an attempt to figure stuff out.

   I just keep wondering how a lifetime of sloth morphed into a 3 year habit of regularly working out 'til my heart’s racing, my muscles are screaming, and my tongue drags the floor.  

   Believe me:  No one is more surprised by this than me.  

    I partly blame that adorable little girl from Australia, Kayla Itsines, for coming up with a workout program that really works.  But mainly I blame her app for making me actually DO the program every stinkin' week of the year.  

     You might be thinking I should say I give them credit.   It is true that I'm wildly grateful for the program’s many benefits.  It has certainly given  me increased energy, happier moods, better discipline in all areas of my life, mental clarity, and on top of all that:  my clothes fit cuter.  But it's also given me a compulsive habit that takes some real time and work. 

     So how did this change occur?  What magic does this app possess?  

Here are some of my theories:

Trick #1-It's Pretty

     Pink is my favorite color and everything about the app (visually, I mean) is pink and girlie.   

     This, of course, hides the medieval torture chamber within.  Underneath the highly pleasing facade of fuschia and confetti, selfies and sparkles, lies a world of hurt.

Trick #2-Cheerleading and a Sense of Community

    

     I know when I hit start there's still a bit of rest before the effort begins.  There's a count down, and then an uplifting, encouraging, and inspiring mini pep-talk.  The rallying messages are quotes from either Kayla, or from a fellow victim, I mean a  fellow member of the Sweat Nation community.

  How cool is it to be part of something called Sweat Nation?  It's a small thing I know, but all these small things do really seem to add up.

Trick #3 - Scheduling 

     On Monday you get a new schedule of workouts.  This forces me to look at my work and personal schedules for the week and see where I can fit them in.  

     I've read this is a huge component to sticking with any goal:  actually figuring out when you can do it.  

Trick #4 - Pseudo-Personal Trainer

     When I very first started I got a book with the workouts in it.  Reading the name of a particular exercise alone was enough to make me want to stop.  The descriptions helped, but I was never quite sure I was doing it quite right.  Watching the little videos of Kayla hopping around makes me go:  Okay...it sounds impossible, but I see that there is a human who is actually doing it.  I suppose I can do it too.

      It also has her voice (or nowadays other trainers in the program) bossing you around.  It's oddly encouraging.  

Trick # 5 - Rewards

It's strangely satisfying to see the Virtual Trophies (complete with animated confetti falling down across the screen) when you complete one of the workouts for the week.  The weekly Challenges (with names like "Death by Burpees") show you how much your time has improved.  

  

The weekly calendar fills from faded to vivid color as the week goes by and you get another workout done.  At the end of the week comes yet another encouraging message and a Trophy showing what week of the program you've completed.  And this screen has, are you ready for it?:  Animated sparkles.  

  

    

     After every workout you're encouraged to take a Sweaty Selfie.  You have a visible image as proof you've completed another hard workout and are, indeed, very sweaty.  I have about a million now.  I made a collage to send to my workout buddy.  In some of the images I look triumphant, in many like I need a medic, but always in the mix is a sense of pride that I took on a hard thing and completed it.  

     

     If I didn't have the original desire to feel energetic, focused and all-around good in my skin, none of this would probably work.  But since that was my goal, the app has proven amazingly effective at keeping me at it.

     I probably shouldn't try to analyze the magic for fear it will go away.  Whatever it is, I'm still at it and still seeing results. 

     To this day I have many days where I'm in my workout clothes thinking:   I really don't want to do this.  Even a few moves in I sometimes am thinking 'Ugh!  I really really don't want to do this!'  

     But I've learned that listening to those bummer voices in my head  doesn't get me anywhere good.  It just slows me down.  So I push 'Start', push through, and let the app guide me steadily to the finish line.  At the end I feel like I've just climbed Mount Everest.  

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"I regret that workout.  Said no one ever."-Unknown

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"The dictionary is the only place where you come to SUCCESS before you get to WORK."-Stubby Currence