By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen for MSN Health & Fitness
1. Don’t exercise with your “BFF.”
Many experts recommend working out with friends to increase motivation, but it can backfire. “People end up talking more than exercising or slowing their speeds or [lowering] intensity levels to chat,” says Stacey Rosenfeld, Ph.D., a psychologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Plus, walking or running with friends can prevent you from following your body’s cues. If you want to speed up or slow down, for instance, you may not be able to coordinate that with someone else. Arrive at the gym with friends to increase motivation, but save the bonding for later.
2. Choose your workout clothes carefully.
According to psychologists, red can increase blood circulation and body temperature, which can boost workout efficiency. Light waves enter the eye and are converted to electrical impulses in the brain, explains environmental psychologist David Alan Kopec, Ph.D., an associate professor at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego. “Red is a long light wave that affects the hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature, appetite and energy levels.” He adds that reds and oranges increase body temperature, which pumps you up for exercise and keeps you energized for a longer workout.
