Thanksgiving Workout of the Day: How Gratitude Strengthens Your Mindset and Your Fitness

Thanksgiving Isn’t Just a Meal, It’s a Mindset

When we plan our annual Thanksgiving workout, most people think of sweat, community energy, and earning their turkey. But this time of year offers something even more powerful: an intentional moment to reset our mindset around gratitude. And no, that’s not fluffy talk, there’s solid science behind why gratitude helps you train better, stay more consistent, and feel more connected to what you’re doing.

Positive psychology research is clear, and recent evidence further supports it. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis found that gratitude interventions consistently improved emotional well-being, resilience, and motivation across multiple populations.¹ Athletes who intentionally practice gratitude, reflecting on wins, acknowledging progress, and recognizing the people who support them, stick with their routines longer and enjoy the process more. Gratitude improves emotional resilience, reduces stress, and helps you stay anchored when motivation inevitably dips.

This makes Thanksgiving the perfect time to combine a challenging  workout with a mindset upgrade. You get the physical stimulus you love, and the mental reset you probably need.

Why Gratitude Makes You More Consistent

Gratitude changes the way your brain frames effort. Instead of seeing your training as something you “have to do”, gratitude shifts it toward something you "get to do". That small flip in perspective cuts through dread, hesitation, and burnout.

Here’s what the research and coaching experience tell us. Additional evidence supports this mindset shift as well. A 2020 systematic review showed that well-being interventions, including gratitude-based practices, improved resilience, reduced stress, and strengthened long-term adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors.²

• Gratitude increases adherence. When you appreciate the ability to move, the space you train in, and the people who support you, you’re far more likely to keep showing up, especially on chaotic weeks.
• It strengthens resilience. Gratitude acts like mental armor. Tough workouts don’t rattle you as much, and the grind feels purposeful instead of punishing.
• It builds connection. When you express appreciation toward coaches and training partners, your sense of belonging deepens, one of the strongest predictors of long-term fitness success.

Gratitude isn’t a bonus. It’s a performance tool. And our Thanksgiving WOD is the perfect place to practice it.

‍Bring Gratitude Into This Year’s Thanksgiving Workout

As you step into this year’s workout, take a second to ground yourself:

• What are you grateful for in your health?
• Who helped you get here?
• What part of your fitness journey are you proud of?

Let that mindset carry you through the workout and into the rest of the season.

Gratitude won’t magically make the workout easier, but it will make you stronger, more resilient, and far more connected to why you train in the first place.

Let us show our gratitude by helping you achieve the fitness goals that make you grateful for your health. Book a No-Sweat Introduction to help you get there.

References:

1. Diniz, G., Korkes, L.,Tristão, L. S., Pelegrini, R., Bellodi, P. L., & Bernardo, W. M. (2023).The effects of gratitude interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil),21, eRW0371.https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2023RW0371

2. Melnyk, B. M., Kelly, S. A.,Stephens, J., Dhakal, K., McGovern, C., Tucker, S., Hoying, J., McRae, K.,Ault, S., Spurlock, E., & Bird, S. B. (2020). Interventions to Improve Mental Health, Well-Being, Physical Health, and Lifestyle Behaviors in Physicians and Nurses: A Systematic Review. American journal of health promotion : AJHP, 34(8), 929–941.https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117120920451

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