Motivational Colors for Exercising

Often the toughest part of working out is getting motivated to hit the gym. A simple solution may be an influx of color. A study published in the journal of "Environmental Science and Technology" suggested that color can effect exercise motivation. Researchers in the study showed that green contributes to the feel-good benefits of outdoor exercise -- even if you're exercising indoors. If you are seeking a little extra motivation to exercise, the benefits of certain colors are worth looking into.

  1. Saturation and Brightness

    • Hue refers to the specific color, like green or red. Saturation involves the purity of a color, while brightness includes a color's brilliance. Colors that are saturated and bright are more stimulating and may be more motivating for exercise than colors that are subdued. Environments that use intensities of the same color can be relaxing; by contrast, if you want a motivating and charged space to increase energy levels for exercise, you need variations in saturation and brightness or pairings of intense colors like red and green or yellow and blue.

    Creating Associations

    • Creating color associations is another way to use color to get a much-needed boost when trying to get motivated to exercise. Many people have certain associations they attribute to certain colors and positive memories associated with them. Using a favorite color -- one that makes you feel alive and energetic -- can give your workouts a boost. Researchers at the University of Essex in England, for example, had 14 college-age men ride an indoor stationary bicycle for five minutes while watching a video. The researchers found that the men felt less fatigued when watching a green version of the video compared to a red, white or black version.

    Color and Psychology

    • Color can affect your mood, motivation and feeling with regard to the space you occupy. Lighter, cooler colors including shades of blue and light green may make you feel like you have more open space to move around in. Red increases your heart rate and breathing, which can stimulate a good workout. Red, orange and yellow may also increase your temperature, according to an article on the website Inviting Home. These colors may help warm up your body for exercising on cold days. Yellow is a good color for creating optimism and enthusiasm, so if you need a mental boost for working out, yellow is a good color to rely on.

    Best Exercise Colors

    • No one best color exists for motivating you to exercise, although color influences moods and perceptions in positive and negative ways. Each person is different and responds to color in a personal way. Colors can cause you to feel bored, stimulated or motivated. If you find that you are happy and positive when surrounded by a particular color or favor the colors in a gym or weight room, chances are high you will be more motivated to exercise longer if you frequent that space.