Go to Gym, Get Paid, Repeat

Dollar signs shrink your gut, according to a new Mayo Clinic study.

People who received $20 every time they hit a monthly weight-loss goal—or forked over the same amount if they failed to reach the target—dropped 6.74 more pounds than those with no financial incentives to lose weight.

Plus, 62 percent of the cash-driven crowd—regardless if they got paid or had to pay—stuck through the whole study, compared to just 26 percent of the other participants.

“It’s human nature that we tend to make choices that provide immediate gratification,” says Steven Driver, M.D., an internal medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic. “Financial incentives help by counteracting immediate rewards and promoting healthy behavior changes that we wish we would do more often.”

Need money motivation? Download GymPact (free for iOS and Android), an app that gives cash rewards for working out. You set how many days a week you’ll hit the gym and choose what you’re willing to pay if you don’t follow through (for example, you might sign up for 5 days a week, with $5 on the line each day). Every week, the money paid by non-exercisers who missed their workouts is divided and paid out to those who met their goals. You can’t cheat, either: GymPact keeps you honest by making you check into your gym via your smartphone each time you go.

This story originally appeared on WomensHealthMag.com.

If you liked this story, you'll love these:

• Try This 15-Second Weight-Loss Trick
• Weird Diets That Work
• The Simple Trick to Save More Money

1. Prev:The Key to Looking Good at Your Wedding
2. Next:How Words with Friends Can Help You Lose Weight