Modern day gyms continue to try and one-up each other with new equipment but it may be more than just the equipment that helps members reach their fitness goals.

Pictures, posters and sounds also motivate people to work longer and harder.

Wayne Westcott, the author of Building Strength and Stamina, and a team of Boston researchers found that looking at pictures of vacation spots helped exercisers workout longer.

“During summer months subjects found photos of Switzerland motivating and during winter, they favoured images of Hawaii,” says Westcott.

Westcott advised that inspirational posters also provide a good source of motivation.

Sounds intense
According to Westcott, when a football team exercised at a strength-training camp, they trained harder whenever they heard a train go by.

Several studies support this notion; not that you need to go to a gym next to a train line, but that any form of distraction, whether from music or television, can make a workout seem easier and faster. .

Decorating your own house
Find an inspirational poster that really strikes a chord with you then put it up where it will be clearly visible when you need a little extra motivation.

Failing that, even putting up a confirmation letter of a race registration on the fridge will help remind you of your goal.