Can't find the motivation to exercise

SheilaTrueLove
SheilaTrueLove Posts: 9 Member
in Motivation and Support
I can't seem to find the energy or motivation to exercise.

Replies

  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    If you are trying to lose weight how long have you been at it, how much total do you feel you need to lose, and how fast are you trying to lose it?

    Did you get a calorie goal from MFP and are you eating all of the calories each day? If you have been exercising how are you recording it in MFP? Is it a synced device? Are you eating back your exercise calories?

    If this is a new weight loss effort and you have not gotten your eating down right quite yet it may be premature to be trying to do a lot of exercise too. If you are not eating enough food for whatever reason it will be very difficult to make a habit out of exercise.

  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,080 Member
    One thing that's helped me is music. I'll either put on a workout playlist and force myself to exercise for a song then usually keep going or put on fun music and dance while doing chores. I second eating enough as well!
  • fitchick37
    fitchick37 Posts: 124 Member
    I walk and at the moment that’s all I do, 10,000 steps a day split into two daily walks. Getting outside clears my head I find :)
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    What kind of exercise are you trying to do, is it something you like?

    Exercise doesn't have to mean going to the gym. It could be a lunchtime walk, a salsa class with a friend, active voluntary work, walking to the shops....if you try and tie it into something you like and would do anyway it becomes much easier to maintain.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,023 Member
    after a 16 year absence from exercise, I really dread having to get back into it at a much older age. I started simply walking, that's it,,,,I went a little further each day. You just have to go through the motions and not make excuses as to why you can't or don't want to do it. Although exercise isn't how you lose weight, it is very important for health and body. Without exercise, I KNOW I wouldn't have been as successful with my diet.
  • francinefig
    francinefig Posts: 13 Member
    So I have hated exercise my whole life until recently, and here's how I made the change so that now I actually look forward to it most days. First, I just made it a non-negotiable part of my routine. I get up, get my kids ready for school, get my gym clothes on, drop kids off at school and head straight to the gym. Also, I started easy. I joined our local YMCA that has a walking track, and just made the rule that I go to the gym and do *something* that involves moving around...even if it's just walking. So I started out slowly, mostly just walking, but really started to enjoy the routine of it and how it made me feel. Then I eventually started branching out and using cardio machines, lifting weights, etc. Now I am comfortable in all areas of the gym and get a decent workout almost every time I go. And I still operate on the same principle (especially if I'm feeling tired or not motivated) -- get there and move around! It has been life-changing for me.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818701/the-myth-of-motivation-and-what-you-need-instead/p1
  • slade51
    slade51 Posts: 188 Member
    littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »

    Exercise doesn't have to mean going to the gym. It could be a lunchtime walk, a salsa class with a friend, active voluntary work, walking to the shops....if you try and tie it into <b> something you like</b> and would do anyway it becomes much easier to maintain.

    Walk, bike, swim, hike... even park further at the mall or take stairs instead of elevator. It will be springtime soon, a great time to take walks on the beach or in the park. Make it a habit, you’ll feel better and look forward to it.
  • geraldaltman
    geraldaltman Posts: 1,739 Member
    Motivation for me is fear of becoming again the immobile mess I was prior to my 2019 hip replacements. Hoping nothing like that winds up being your motivation. Allow yourself the option of thinking beyond the "normal" reasons for doing it all in the first place, maybe motivation can be found there. Do only that exercise you know will enjoy and should that be your nature do it with other people. Remove any thoughts and observations about others. They don't matter, YOU DO! Watch your calories and portions but do not deny yourself. Too many believe that treating yourself wrecks everything. It doesn't! Don't even think of it as cheating.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,281 Member
    Call it what it is. I used to tell myself that I hated working out. Hmm, I do enjoy walking. So go for a walk if you enjoy it. Doesn't have to be overly strenuous or long. Just get out and look for signs of spring, breathe fresh air, wave to the neighbors...

    This from someone who is now trail running, hiking, lifting, swimming laps and taking fitness classes. The more fit I became, the more I could do. The more I could do, the more I wanted to do. Now, I really enjoy it. Even on days when I'm not motivated to work out, I look at it from the other side: use this time for you, move your body, pay attention to the flexibility. You don't have to "go hard" or "crush it" or "blow past everyone else" like you might read on some posts. You just have to do you. And that's whatever you decide to do :heart:

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