Two years ago, Amy Gruenhut suffered a near-fatal brain infection that left her in a coma for almost two weeks. Since then, she has gone from learning to eat, speaking and walking to running four marathons.

Ms. Gruenhut had been a regular runner before the coma, but after leaving the hospital, returning to the jogging paths of Central Park felt like a return to life itself.

Progress requires patience and willpower that seemed almost superhuman. But like everyone else, Ms. Gruenhut sometimes had trouble getting out of bed and putting on her sneakers. For those moments, she gathered a group of training buddies to encourage her to get moving.

“I didn’t want to stop them,” said Ms Gruenhut, 44, adding: “They made that commitment to me too.”

No matter how inspired people are to achieve their health and fitness goals, many face barriers when investing time, reps or steps. But experts say the difference between quitting and not quitting often comes down to having a person, group, app, or other outside force pushing you to keep going.

Most accountability tricks aren’t universal: one person might find it motivating to share running times on the fitness app Strava; another may find it very stressful. The key is to shop around until you find a strategy that works for you.

Find a buddy who is more committed than you…

Making plans to exercise with a friend will increase your chances of exercising. But some experts say we benefit most from working with someone who is more enthusiastic about exercise than we are.

a new study on gym motivation, soon to be published in the journal Management Science, found that participants who struggled to exercise saw a significant improvement when they connected with a regular gym-goer, said Rachel Gershon, lead author of the study and assistant professor of marketing at the University of California, Berkeley.

“Working with someone who is already doing well in the goal you’re trying to pursue can be effective,” she said. “And the more committed partner also benefited.”

…or someone who needs an extra push.

If you The more dedicated training buddy, you can benefit from serving as a motivator and teacher for a less experienced friend, says Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Chicago.

When you give advice, you not only make yourself accountable to the other person, but you also strengthen your own commitment by hearing yourself articulate how or why you do something, she said.

Justin Ross, a Denver-based clinical psychologist who specializes in athlete mental health and performance, experiences firsthand the benefits of this type of asymmetric collaboration when coaching newer athletes. “I have to show up, not just for me, but for them,” he said.

Sign up for a race, but don’t tell (many) people.

Deciding to train for a race or other athletic event can provide both structure and accountability, experts say. But it’s probably best to keep your plans relatively private.

Sharing a lofty goal widely — on social media, for example — can backfire because it can make you “feel like you’ve already achieved it,” says Gabriele Oettingen, a professor of psychology at New York University. Research has suggested that for some people, talking about an upcoming goal can be a substitute for actually doing it: you get the same satisfaction without working hard for it.

Wait to hype your event until you’re close to the finish line, she said, both literally and figuratively.

Promise a fitness instructor you’ll come.

While paying a monthly gym membership encourages some people to exercise, for others it’s not enough: just half of the gym members go twice a week.

“If you don’t follow the rules, there’s no real punishment,” says Dr. Kevin Volpp, director of the Penn Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics, other than feeling like you’ve wasted money.

To create more accountability, he said, forge a relationship with an instructor or trainer and say you’ll show up for a class or training session at a certain time. Social responsibility – not wanting to come across as a flake – can be a powerful motivator.

Create a paperclip chain to track your progress.

If you are someone who responds well to visual cues or reminders, Dr. Ross recommends you create a paperclip chain to track your workouts and keep them in a visible place.

Start with one paper clip and add a new clip to the end of the chain each time you practice. You can also make a rubber ball.

“On days when you’re really not feeling it,” he said, these visual reminders “can help give you some of that energy to get you going.”

Being paid.

If you need an extra incentive, sign up for an app pays or rewards you for moving, says Heather Royer, a health economist at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

These apps track metrics such as minutes or miles through your phone or wearable fitness device and offer discounts on products or even charitable donations in your name. They are typically funded by corporate sponsors or commissions from partner brands.

Dr. Royer prefers Pacelijn, which offers gift cards and discounts for 150 minutes of moving per week. Even though the payout itself is small (only about a dollar or two a week), it is motivating for her. “It’s enough that at the end of the week, if I haven’t achieved that goal yet, I’m going to work out at 10 p.m.,” she said.

In recent years, one of the most provocative questions in cancer research has been whether regular exercise can prevent certain types of cancer from emerging.

The answer, as with any question related to cancer, is complicated. But a recent study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine offered a glimpse into how regular physical activity affects the risk of prostate cancer, the second most common and second most deadly cancer in the United States for men.

In one of the largest efforts to date, researchers collected data from 57,652 Swedish men between 1982 and 2019 who had taken part in at least two fitness tests to see whether those who were more active were less likely to develop cancer. About 1 percent were later diagnosed with prostate cancer. The team found that those who had improved their fitness over the years were 35 percent less likely to develop the disease.

The finding is consistent with much of the latest research on the relationship between fitness and cancer diagnosis. According to a 2021 studyFor example, if all adults in the United States met physical activity guidelines, cancer diagnoses could drop by 3 percent, or 46,000 cases, each year.

But while there has been extensive research into the relationship between exercise and conditions such as breast cancer, less research has been done specifically on prostate cancer. The risk of prostate cancer increases for all men after the age of fifty; The risk appears to run in families. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.

Some previous research on the link between physical activity and prostate cancer has been conflicting, said study co-author Dr. Kate Bolam. While some showed it increased risk of prostate cancer for those who were physically active, others found a reduced risk.

But many of those studies had small sample sizes or focused on healthier people, said Dr. Bolam, a researcher at the Swedish School of Sports and Health Sciences.

“Men who are generally more health conscious,” she said, “are also good at going to the doctor when called for a prostate cancer screening.”

More testing means more diagnoses, even in men whose cancer will never progress. Sometimes cancer cells can persist in the prostate for a person's entire life and are not dangerous. Many men who are not tested and experience no symptoms may never know they have prostate cancer.

The Swedish team was able to create a more nuanced picture by using a national database of hundreds of thousands of laboratory results, including fitness tests that measure how well the heart and lungs deliver oxygen to the muscles.

Unlike studies that required patients to report their exercise habits, this provided experts with objective measurements. The results clearly showed a link between physical activity and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. It also showed that greater improvements in fitness were associated with greater reductions in risk.

This contributes to a growing understanding of how important exercise is for cancer prevention in general. An evaluation in 2019 by the American College of Sports Medicine found that regular physical activity significantly reduced the risk of bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal adenocarcinoma, kidney and stomach cancer. The same analysis also found that having a regular exercise habit was linked to better treatment outcomes and an increase in life expectancy for those already living with cancer.

While it's not clear exactly how this happens, experts said one explanation could be that exercise helps fight cancer by improving its function targets of the immune system and eradicates cancer cells.

“We know that even a single exercise helps our bodies release immune cells into our bloodstream,” said Neil M. Iyengar, a medical oncologist and physician-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, who was not involved in the study. was involved. “It also helps to improve the population of immune cells in our tissues that fight cancer cells.”

He added: “In someone who exercises, you see more immune cells that are actually able to kill cancer cells. Whereas in someone who is more sedentary, especially someone who is obese, you see the opposite.”

Researchers don't yet know exactly the right dose and type of exercise that might be most effective, but both the American Cancer Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommend 150 minutes per week, or 20 minutes per day, of aerobic exercise. This can include light walking, jogging or weight-bearing exercises.

Both Dr. Iyengar and Dr. Bolam recommended starting simple: find an activity that is fun and get moving. Think of playing with children or grandchildren, going for a walk or participating in a recreational sports competition. Consistency is key, they said, which is why it's important to find activity that doesn't feel like a chore.

“Everyone here has an opportunity to do something that is really cost-effective to reduce the risk of prostate cancer,” said Dr. Bolam. “And that is something that is completely within our control.”

Whenever Alex Lee mentions Clown Cardio, he’s met with some confusion.

“People will say, ‘What is that? People dressed as clowns chasing you?” Mr. Lee, a 42-year-old technical writer living in Los Angeles, said after a recent class. No one is wearing face paint or red noses—nor are they necessarily chasing anyone (more on that later)—but this hour-long session, which costs $20, featured a bicycle horn, mini circus tents from Ikea, and carnival-style popcorn boxes.

Jaymie Parkkinen, Founder the class at Pieter Performance Space in Los Angeles, takes theater games usually reserved for improv warm-ups and turns them into aerobic exercises with clown-themed props: a game similar to blob tag, where the tagged arms connect and chasing everyone; a more chaotic version of musical chairs; a circus tent version of Capture the Flag; disorderly dancing competitions.

When Mr. Parkkinen wants to expand the class’s repertoire, he visits the Los Angeles Central Library and watches the performance portion; recently he was inspired by exercises from a book for vaudevillians from the 1920s.

In this class, participants of all genders and ages are encouraged to let go. “I want to emphasize playing, not winning,” Mr. Parkkinen announced before Clown Dodge Ball. The disco tune “Turn the Beat Around” played as one half of the class fought to stand up the popcorn boxes scattered around the room, while the other class wanted more of them face down by the time the song had ended.

“I can unzip the human suit a little bit and be a dirty little goblin and that’s accepted because clowns get to access their inner child,” says Sarah Thompson, 29, a North Hollywood marketing copywriter who has taken four classes.

Los Angeles is already home to a vibrant one clown communitywith clown workshops and shows such as Clown Church, Clown zoo, a psychedelic clown workshop, The idiot workshop and a clown awards ceremony, but Clown Cardio is uniquely focused on exercise.

Clown Cardio was conceived and launched in September 2023, shortly after Mr. Parkkinen’s cancer was diagnosed at an advanced stage. Mr. Parkkinen, who had been working part-time as a lawyer at an entertainment company, was inspired to focus more specifically on what brought him joy, and that was the improv warm-ups, where silliness and physicality are fully activated.

With play as the goal, laughter and sound are one of the benchmarks that Mr. Parkkinen uses to measure the success of each lesson. “For me it’s the auditory element. It’s hard to visually decipher the level of joy.”

Can foolishness improve a workout? According to Prof. Sophie Scott, a neuroscientist who specializes in laughter at University College London, laughter itself does not burn many calories. But just like exercise, laughter produces a significant endorphin boost. Over time, laughter leads to a reduction in the stress hormone cortisol, she said.

Prof. Michelle Liu Carriger, chair of the UCLA theater department, thinks the recent popularity of clowning could make people realize that seriousness doesn’t get us where we need to go. “The things that got us through tough pandemic times weren’t just washing our hands and listening to health professionals, but finding ways to loosen up, calm down and let off steam.”

Many class members said what they liked about Clown Cardio, which meets in three Los Angeles neighborhoods, is connecting with others. Matthew Moore, a 55-year-old actor, producer and artistic director of Improv for the People, is 6 feet tall and makes sure he doesn’t bump into people he calls “smaller people” during class.

Throughout the hour, the competitors were tender with each other, making sure no one got hurt during a heated pile-up. Safety is a crucial part of maintaining humor in the classroom. “It’s not funny when a clown gets hit in the face with a frying pan and then doesn’t get up,” said Sam Sullivan, 25, a carpenter living in El Sereno who took a clown class in college and now attends Clown Cardio. In fact, “that’s sad.”

Several students said taking the class helped them cope with coulrophobia, or clownphobia. MX. Sullivan used to be afraid of clowns, but has come to the conclusion that “clowning is not so much about putting on makeup and scaring people, but about facing failure.”

This is day 2 of the 6-day Energy Challenge. To start at the beginning, click here.

When you’re wiped out, getting up and moving may seem like a chore. But the less active we are during the day, the more tired we feel.

Today’s challenge is a playful, slightly silly three-minute exercise.

Why is this a crucial part of an energy challenge? Because short bursts of exercise can help reduce fatigue, relieve stress and improve your mood.

Once you start, your heart rate increases, increasing the flow of oxygen to your muscles and brain, says Margaret Rice, professor of neurosurgery, neuroscience and physiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. This rush, she said, can make you feel more alert for at least a while afterwards.

She also said dopamine – a hormone involved in pleasure, alertness and motivation – is likely to increase within those three minutes of exercise. That might explain why you feel more focused and excited when you’re done.

In addition to the energy boost, a little exercise can also provide health benefits. In a 2022 study Among more than 25,000 British adults, researchers found that those who performed a total of three minutes of vigorous exercise per day had lower mortality and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who did not.

Ready to get moving? You don’t need much more than your imagination.

Move like a pro.

For three minutes you imitate a boxer, a ballerina, a tennis player, a basketball player, a runner and, to cool down, a yoga practitioner.

Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist, lecturer at Stanford University and author of “The Joy of Movement,” has also been an exercise instructor for more than two decades — and this activity, she said, is a crowd pleaser. It’s fun, it can be adapted for all levels and you can wear your regular clothes.

Dr. McGonigal suggested doing this exercise first so you can start the day energized. But basically, you can do it whenever you have three minutes and need a lift.

Set the stage.

First, find a place where you can move comfortably. Then perform each of the following for 30 seconds, for a total of three minutes. (You can use the animated timer below: It will show you the next move when it’s time to switch.)

Act like an athlete.

When you are ready, begin the following activities.

“Don’t think about it too much, just do it,” said Dr. McGonigal. “You can’t do this wrong.”

Here are a few suggested steps to get you started:

Boxing. Give a few punches, pretend to hit a heavy bag, or alternate between fast and slow punches.

Ballet. Raise your arms above your head to form a circle. Extend each leg forward and point your toes. Stand on your toes and come back down. Do a pirouette or a jump.

Tennis. Try a backhand and forehand swing. Bounce on your heels and fire back. Throw a “ball” in the air and crush a portion.

Basketball. Dribble the “ball”, take a shot or jump in the air and block an imaginary opponent.

Run. Jog in place, pumping and waving your arms, or throw your hands in the air and sail through the finish line (victory dance optional).

Yoga. Adopt any pose or position that makes you feel grounded, such as standing in “mountain pose” with your hands on your heart.

At the end of the three minutes, notice how you feel. Is your heart rate up? Are you breathing deeper? Do you have more energy? Has your mood improved a little?

I’ve field-tested this with three generations of people, including my kindergarten neighbor, my teenage nephew, and my 81-year-old father. My father refused at first, but when we started ‘boxing’ he couldn’t resist joining in and demonstrating an uppercut punch. During the basketball segment, my cousin crowed about blocking my “jump shot.” By the end they were all laughing – and energetic.

For parents of young children, it can be difficult to prioritize exercise. Kids need things – a snack, a ride, someone to explain fractions – usually just when you put on your running shoes or put down the yoga mat.

Instead of skipping your workout, consider getting your little ones involved. Exercising together not only combines family time and fitness, but it is also a way to model healthy habits. Research shows that children with active parents are more likely Unpleasant be active yourself and to to grow up active adults.

Adding kids to the mix may require you to “let go of the idea that you’re going to get a perfect workout,” says Kelly Bryant, a coach at the fitness app Future who often works out with her 5-year-old and toddler. Yet there are plenty of ways to make your training a good one.

Give children a role in your regular training.

People often think they have to find a child-specific activity, Ms. Bryant said, such as a dance party or a Disney yoga video. “But basically any bodyweight workout is going to be pretty kid-friendly,” she said.

Her own children enjoy exercises that involve jumping, such as squat jumps, side jumps, skipping rope, ladder exercises and jumping jacks. “Kids love a burp,” Ms. Bryant said.

Perform the moves together or make it a partner workout, suggested Jess Sims, a Peloton instructor who leads family-friendly classes. For example, you can hold a plank while your child does five jumping jacks and five squats. Then you alternate and alternate movements for five minutes.

If children lose interest in participating, re-engage them as trainers. Ask them to count your reps or set a timer on your phone, Ms. Bryant said. “Or have them give you a block every time you complete a set,” she suggested. “Anything where you give them responsibility and authority, they love it.”

Turn sports into a game.

Ms. Sims, a former elementary school teacher, often uses “listening games” in her adult classes, where participants increase their speed when they hear certain words in a song. With kids: do a jump jack to a song your child likes, and choose a move to do when you hear a certain phrase. “For example, every time you hear Beyoncé say ‘break my soul,’ you do a push-up,” Ms. Sims said. Or march together in place through the verses and then do mountain climbers during the chorus.

Suggest a game of “exercise charades,” which Marc Santa Maria, vice president at Crunch Fitness, often plays with his husband and 9-year-old twins. Everyone writes a few strength moves or yoga poses on scrap paper and then takes turns picking from a bowl.

“You start making the move and everyone copies you,” he explained. After 30 seconds, people can shout the name of the exercise.

Be creative with how you enter.

If it’s not too cold outside, set up a race track in a park or open space. You can challenge your child to cycle a certain route while doing crunches, Ms. Bryant suggested, and then you can run that route when your child returns. Drive a few laps around the track and try to beat your best time.

“My kids will do anything if it’s a race,” she said.

To do some sprints, go to a public tennis or basketball court with a bag of small, light items, Mr. Santa Maria said. Run back and forth with your child, moving the objects from one side of the playing field to the other – giving yourself twice as many objects – and taking your time to see who finishes first. (If you have a long hallway, you can do this inside.)

Kids on bikes or scooters can also be great pacers as you run alongside them, Ms. Bryant said. Or for something simpler, alternate running and walking intervals together. “That’s how kids run,” she said. “They sprint for 30 seconds, then stop to pick some flowers, walk a bit and then sprint again.”

Use the playground.

A playground can be a great place for a full-body workout, Mr. Santa Maria said. Warm up by doing lateral shuffles around the perimeter in each direction and then use the play equipment to create different stations for cardio, core, and upper and lower body exercises.

On a swing, for example, “I jumped off and landed in a wide stance, then did 10 squats,” Mr. Santa Maria said. Or you can lie over it and have a Superman extension with cactus armswhere you train your back, glutes and shoulders.

Do pull-ups on the monkey bars, triceps dips on a bench and step-ups on the stairs to the slide, he suggested. The key is that as your child plays, Mr. Santa Maria said, “you want to take advantage of the things that are already there.”

Embrace screen time.

Many streaming fitness platforms, like Peloton and Crunch+, offer online family classes, but if you don’t subscribe, YouTube can be a goldmine of free workout videos.

Ms. Bryant said “squirmy kids” like her daughter might prefer it AcroYoga, which combines yoga and acrobatics, with regular yoga, especially if they can do it on a trampoline. They also make step aerobics videos together, where her child uses the bottom step of a staircase or “the kind of stool every parent has in front of the bathroom sink.”

Create a dance routine with moves you can learn by watching the free videos Hip hop public health, suggested Mr. Santa Maria (he stars in some of them). Sometimes he also streams an exercise video on mute and puts on his kids’ favorite soundtrack so they can sing along while he works out.

Whether you stack a few of these ideas or have time for just one, don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t feel as satisfying as a kid-free workout. “Every move is a great move,” Ms. Sims said.

Holly Burns is a regular contributor to The New York Times.