When you don’t want to work out?

mmapags

I don't think in terms of want to or not. I decided that exercise is part of what I want for a healthy life. I put on my schedule. I do it. Just like brushing my teeth or sleeping or eating.

Crafty_camper123

smoofinator wrote: »

Crafty_camper123 wrote: »

I needed to read these. The bad part about motivation is that it's fleeting. I havent seen mine in a few months! (If you see it running around, will someone PM me? ) But, what I think I need to do is reassess my goals. I crushed it last year, but it's a different year and what I want to gain out of fitness has changed. Unfortunatly "Look hot in bikini" Is never good enough. I usually default to " Eh, I have a body and I'm on the beach! What more do I need?" I need more solid goals, and I haven't really sat down to decide what those are. I suppose I should do that. Then work on the routine and discipline part.

Me too. I always think of that quote, "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels," but I know for a fact that tacos do (it's science). I need a better reason than looking pretty.

I like how you think. Tacos are a healthy and balanced meal. You have carbs, protein, leafy green veggies, fat, and fiber. So yes, tacos do in fact taste better then thin feels. Because science.

littlegreenparrot1

Crafty_camper123 wrote: »

I needed to read these. The bad part about motivation is that it's fleeting. I havent seen mine in a few months! (If you see it running around, will someone PM me? ) But, what I think I need to do is reassess my goals. I crushed it last year, but it's a different year and what I want to gain out of fitness has changed. Unfortunatly "Look hot in bikini" Is never good enough. I usually default to " Eh, I have a body and I'm on the beach! What more do I need?" I need more solid goals, and I haven't really sat down to decide what those are. I suppose I should do that. Then work on the routine and discipline part.

I run (slowly) and enter races to help motivation. This means I have spent money and told people, so I have to go, and also don't want to humiliate myself or do myself a mischief during the race, so have to train. I choose them carefully, they have to be hard enough to work for, but not so hard I have a panic and freak out.

I simply do not care enough about my appearance. I have always thought that if someone else's biggest problem is the size of my bum, good for them!

The race though, after finishing I feel like I can take over the world.....

estherdragonbat

I've said this before in other threads, so apologies for those who've already seen it.

Discipline is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. I can give you some personal experience. It's going to sound off-topic, but bear with me to the end?

I write fanfiction as a hobby. And I used to sort of sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. When it did, writing happened. But then one day, I remembered my university days as an English Lit major, when we had to hand in papers averaging 15-20 pages. General policy was, for every day late without a valid extension, you got docked half a letter grade. So, one day late and the highest mark you could get was an A-; 2 days late meant a B+, etc. And I remembered that, whether I was inspired/motivated by the material or not, writing happened and papers got done. I never once asked for an extension (nor heard of anyone else asking for one) for a reason like, "I wasn't inspired." "I had writers' block". "My muse wouldn't cooperate." "I just couldn't get motivated." Somehow, when there were tangible consequences to not getting it done... it got done.

So I thought to myself, "Can I do that? Impose a writing deadline upon myself; one scene a night? No matter what? Possible day off when I finish a chapter, possible day off to research for an upcoming scene, but something writing-related and usually writing every day?"

That was about eight years ago. I haven't had a day of real writers' block since. I've had days where I knew I was going to have to write outside my comfort zone and wasn't excited about it, but not days where I'd sit in front of a blank page with a blank mind and have no idea what came next.

When I made up my mind to lose weight, I'd just been diagnosed with an obesity-related complication that had me on bed-rest, with daily nursing visits, and multiple courses of antibiotics. I decided that wasn't going to be my life. My vascular surgeon told me clearly that the condition could be managed—by weight loss and compression stockings—but not cured. Suddenly, weight-loss became something necessary. And that same discipline that had me writing a scene a night? Kicked in and has me adhering to my calories. It has me exercising, even when I don't feel like it. Because for me, at this point, how I feel about the process is irrelevant. I need to get to a healthy weight. My motivation is not going back to bed-rest, nurse visits, and a weeping wound on my leg that takes months to heal. Yes, my wants play a part. I've chosen a way of eating that I enjoy and will be able to stick to when the weight comes off, incorporating foods I love. I've chosen exercise I generally enjoy. And some days, I'll change it up a little if I'm bored or have a treat that I normally wouldn't indulge in. But motivation? It's nice when I have it, but I can't afford to let the lack of it trip me up.

I don't have to be in the mood to work out. I don't have to want to. But I do have to do it.

merekins

I don’t give myself the option, like brushing my teeth. I go. It’s one thing if there is a real reason I can’t make it work but I don’t feel like isn’t a reason for me. I don’t have to go to the gym but I have to get something in whether that’s a run or just a walk.

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stephierue

Don’t think about it, just go -immediately-before you think about it & talk yourself out of it. Just follow the routine without thought. That being said, if I really really don’t want to go to a class that day, I’ll do some serious yard work & I’m always sore the next day. Saying I’ll go “later” or I’ll work out at home never works though.

Lazy_Bones_85

It depends. If I don't want to because I simply don't want to, then I go anyway. If my body is in need of an extra rest day because of a race I ran, I tell myself to go but to take it easy or only do half the time or distance. You will learn when you're body is telling you "Hey, I need an extra rest day" or "I'm sick, I want to rest" versus your mind telling you not to go because you don't feel up to it.

Danp

First let me say that I'm not advocating this approach. Just noting that this is the approach that works for me. For my temperament, my mindset and my personality.

If I don't want to 'workout' doing a specific activity I'll see if I instead feel like doing something else. If I was planning on going for a ride on my bike and just don't feel like it I'll think about it and see if there's something else I'd rather be doing and do that instead. Would I rather, run, throw the barbell around a bit, go to the beach and swim, jump behind the drum kit and go crazy. If so then I do that instead since any activity I'll have fun doing is better than forcing myself to do something that I won't enjoy.

If I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing then I'll just not workout. I know from experience that nothing in this world will make me stop doing something as quick as the feeling of being forced to do it. Skipping a workout session (or two) is better for me in the long term as I'm far more likely to continue long term when working out is a choice and not a requirement.

Again. This is purely a personal approach that suits me best.

rheddmobile

Sometimes I pretend I’m not going to work out. Meanwhile I eat my pre-run snack, get my water bottle filled, put my run bag in the car, get my running clothes on, get in the car, drive to the park... by the time I arrive, I might as well run, so I do. And I have never regretted it.

Some good tips in this thread! Switch it up until you find something you enjoy. I learned Bollywood dance for a while because I was sick of stationary bike. Set goals for yourself, such as lifting a certain percentage of your bodyweight, holding a handstand for ten seconds, or running a certain distance at a certain pace.

I like to remind myself, your body doesn’t care whether you’re “feeling it” when you work out. Just so long as you do it, you can be completely uninspired and it will still benefit you. When your brain whines, “But I don’t feel like it today!” Answer, “So?”

One more thing, make sure you are letting yourself recover. If you are losing reps when lifting, or if the routine which used to be easy now feels harder instead of easier, maybe take a rest day. Take a low impact day at least once a week regardless. Muscles grow during rest.

missh1967

In my 20s and 30s, man did I beat myself up for missing a day of working out. Now that I'm older and more in tune with my body, there are days I am legit wiped out or exhausted (working night shift 5 nights a week will do that), and I just take the day off and don't flagellate myself over it. I enjoy the rest usually.