Why Scheduling Your Spin Classes (and Workouts) Matters More Than You Think

Kaila & Mike Minion
Apr 30
4 min read

relatable truth for pushing off workouts

We’ve all been there:

“I’ll go later.”

“I just need to get through this day.”

“If I have time after dinner…”

And then “later” never happens.

When it comes to workouts—whether it's hitting the gym, jumping into a Spinfinite spin class, or simply moving your body—waiting to find time often means it doesn’t happen at all. Life is busy. Our to-do lists never end. And if we don’t intentionally schedule our workouts, they get pushed further and further down the list until it’s just… not happening.

But here’s the thing: when you plan your movement into your week like an unmissable appointment, it actually happens.

neuroscience your brain isnt lazy its comfortable

Your Brain Loves the Easy Way Out

It’s not laziness. It’s neuroscience. Our brains are designed to keep us safe and conserve energy. Psychologists call this “cognitive ease”—we’re drawn to routines and behaviors that require less mental effort and less risk, even if they don’t serve our goals.

According to Dr. Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, the brain has two systems:

System 1 is fast, automatic, and prefers comfort.
System 2 is slower, more intentional, and used when we’re making deliberate decisions.

When we’re tired, stressed, or overwhelmed (hello, modern life), System 1 usually wins—and that’s when we skip the workout.

This is also backed by habit loop theory from Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, which explains that our brains default to what feels routine unless we create a new, intentional “cue-routine-reward” cycle. Scheduling a workout creates that new cue—your calendar tells your brain, this is what we do now.

The basal ganglia, a part of the brain responsible for habit formation, favors routines and automatic behaviors. Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex, which helps with decision-making and self-control, tires easily—especially after a long day. This means when you're relying on willpower alone to make a workout happen “later,” your brain often defaults to what's easiest: skipping it.

Studies in behavioral psychology (like those by Dr. B.J. Fogg and Dr. James Prochaska) show that the brain tends to resist change unless it’s given a very specific cue or anchor—like a scheduled time in your calendar. Without that structure, we fall back on what’s comfortable.

So even when we want to make a change, like prioritizing our health, our brain might say:

“You’re tired. Just skip today.”

“You don’t really have time.”

This is where scheduling becomes your secret weapon.

When It’s in the Calendar, It’s Real

Think about your other priorities—meetings, dentist appointments, your kid’s hockey game. You schedule those in because they matter, and you don’t cancel them on a whim. Your health deserves that same level of commitment.

When your workouts are planned ahead of time, you’re not scrambling to squeeze them in or bargaining with yourself at 6 p.m. You're already mentally prepared. You’ve made the decision ahead of time, and you’re far more likely to follow through.

Research supports this: Implementation intentions—aka making a specific plan for when and where you’ll do something—can increase the likelihood of following through on healthy behaviors by as much as 91% (Gollwitzer, 1999).

The Hardest Part Is Showing Up

It’s not the spin class that’s hard—it’s getting yourself to walk through the door.

But once you do?

The mental fog clears. Your energy rises. Your mood shifts. The community pulls you in, the music takes over, and your body remembers: Oh right. This feels amazing.

You never regret the workout. You only regret skipping it.

Getting Back On Track: Aligned Action Over Overthinking

If you've fallen out of routine, you’re not alone.

And here’s the truth: the longer you stay in “I should” mode, the harder it feels to take action.

Behavior change science (Transtheoretical Model) shows we move through stages like:

Precontemplation: “I’m not ready.”
Contemplation: “Maybe I should…”
Preparation, Action, and Maintenance

But many of us stay stuck in that middle zone—thinking about change, knowing we should, but never actually doing it.

All the reasons why exercise is good for us won’t matter unless we decide to take aligned action.

Even something small—like booking a class or laying out your workout clothes—starts to shift your identity from someone who should work out to someone who does.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Want to make fitness a consistent part of your life? Here’s your action plan:

Look ahead at your week and block out your workout times. Treat them like non-negotiable meetings.
Book your spin classes in advance. Let that calendar notification be your cue—it gives you structure and accountability.
Let go of needing to “feel like it.” Show up anyway— Don’t wait to feel motivated. Action creates motivation—not the other way around.
Tell a friend or book with a buddy. Extra motivation goes a long way.
Expect resistance—but don’t let it win. Remind yourself: discomfort is a part of growth, not a reason to quit.

At Spinfinite, we believe in making movement a joyful, empowering part of your life—not a chore you have to squeeze in. But that doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you choose to show up for yourself—on purpose, with intention.