Must-Read: Hack Your Mind For Exercise

Half of life is tricking yourself into doing something. Whether it’s psyching yourself up in order to ask that girl out on a date, or trying to make the foods that are good for you taste better, or simply playing a sport because then you get a little exercise, a whole lot of our existence is simply trying to get ourselves to do something because we need to. And there’s a reason for that: It works. If you are trying to get yourself to do something that you don’t want to actually do, it pays for a little bit of a shortcut.

And so today we’re heading on over to Men’s Health where they have a list of ways that you can trick your brain in order to make sure you exercise. Among the ways that they’re suggesting in order to motivate yourself to do some exercise:

Use Sex as a Motivator

Have you ever found yourself doing something wholly unpleasant?shopping for linens, attending a baby shower, watching Grey?s Anatomy?simply to please a woman? That is your brain on sex; your neurochemistry is prodding you to muscle through the anguish to increase your odds of copulating. Similarly, you can use sex as a motivator to keep yourself moving through your workouts and coming back for more day after day, says Men?s Health sex and relationships advisor Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., She?s a research scientist at Indiana University, and the author of Great in Bed, so she oughta know.

Your Move: One week each month, strike a bargain with your partner that you can have sex only on the days you (even better, both of you) work out. ?The benefits extend beyond simple motivation,? says Herbenick. ?Increased bloodflow from exercise stimulates the genitals, enhancing arousal and pleasure.? Let?s face it: Sex requires a lot of repetitive motions, especially in the core. If you want to sustain that woman-pleasing rhythm, you?d better hit the gym regularly. Single? Strike up a contract with Porn Hub.

So head on over to the link above to check out the other ways that you can go about motivating yourself to do some exercise. And then get to tricking your brain!