How Science Can Help You Keep Your Fitness Goal

Fitness centers typically see a surge in attendance at the start of January, when millions of Americans resolve to get in shape by exercising more. By February, however, a large percentage of gym-goers quit.

A new megastudy from the Behavior Change for Good Initiative (BCFG) at Penn reveals techniques that may be able to make those New Year’s resolutions stick around longer. It also has implications for scientists and policymakers who want to apply behavioral science to solve some of society’s most confounding problems, such as vaccine compliance, medication adherence, or school attendance.