The audiobook trick that got people to the gym
Saving a gripping audiobook for the gym made people go 51% more often at first, though the boost faded over time.
Pairing something you want to do with something you mean to do can help, at least at first. Keeping a gripping audiobook for gym time made people go more often.
The study
In a field experiment, some people could only listen to page-turner audiobooks at the gym, some were encouraged to keep their listening for the gym, and a control group had no such setup. At first, the gym-only group visited 51% more often than the control group and the encouraged group 29% more. The effect faded over time, especially after a holiday break. Afterward, most participants chose to pay for gym-only access to the audiobooks.
Starting small
A small pleasure saved for habit time, like a favorite podcast for walks, can give a new habit a lift. It may need refreshing as the novelty wears off.