Richard Keegan, PhD
Richard Keegan, PhD, senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology, School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, England.
Asking your spouse, child, parent, sibling or friend to remind you to, say, exercise more or eat extra fruits and veggies might give you the kick in the pants that you need to get healthier, according to new research.
You already know, of course, that exercising and eating fruits and veggies are good ideas, but that’s the point of requesting a reminder—it’s about having someone to tell you to do something that you already know that you should do.
Sure, you might feel annoyed by being reminded at first.
But if it helps you reach a personal health goal, then isn’t it worth it?
Whether you’re trying to stick with a healthy habit or start a new one, read on to learn about who you should ask to remind you, the best ways for that person to remind you—and why it may provide the extra boost that you need.
Researchers at the University of Lincoln in England wanted to understand what might motivate people who have trouble sticking with healthy habits. They chose “exercise” as their test case—since it’s something that we all know we should do but that many of us just end up skipping. For the study, researchers interviewed adults between the ages of 32 and 60 and asked them how their family members, friends, doctors, nurses, the media and others influence their level of physical activity.
What they discovered: Those who were already motivated to exercise didn’t need any extra reminders. But those who were least inclined to exercise reported that they needed—and even appreciated—reminders about exercising from their spouses or other family members (such as their kids, parents or siblings), as well as their friends.
For the reminding strategy to work, a few factors must come into play, I learned from Richard Keegan, PhD, an exercise and sports psychologist at the university’s School of Sport and Exercise Science and the study’s lead author. Lessons from the study…
Maybe you’re not the one who needs reminding—perhaps it’s your spouse who could use a push.
If your spouse is somewhat motivated to either stick to a health goal or reach a new one and is OK with being reminded, then here’s how to remind him or her appropriately, according to Dr. Keegan.
If you find it difficult to remember to do the reminding, simply set an alarm through your phone or e-mail system.
Starting new healthy habits and sticking with old ones isn’t easy, so we’d all benefit by taking a cue from The Beatles—we get by with a little help!