Motivation...it escapes me

animatorswearbras

Hi, I was wondering how you all get motivated to get up and workout. I've been saying to myself that I will wake up early and hit my treadmill or when I get home from work. While I do wake up early enough to get it done, I choose to stay in bed with the covers up to my neck....it's just so comfy lol. When I get home, I'm tired from the day. I know these are just excuses I am using to justify my lack of motivation.

What are your motivational strategies for getting up off your butt and doing?

If you can get a friend to do it with you and meet at the gym I find it easier to be motivated, mostly because I find it harder to let someone else down then just myself (self to self "not working out today, too snuggly warm" self replies "you're forgiven, I'll get the snooze button") .

Otherwise, as someone else said, prepare to go the night before ( kit packed ect) and shove your alarm somewhere where you have to get out of bed to turn it off, then you're up anyway and can leave the house within 5 mins before you're brain has chance to protest. Also once you're there you're so glad you went and feel great all day, getting up for the gym is so much harder than doing the gym...

... I wish internal rationalisation struggles about going to the gym burned calories.

EDIT - maybe convince yourself it's now part of your job and if you don't go you'll get fired ;P

EDIT2- just realised you're doing the treadmill at home, ignore the first part of my advice do the alarm/prep thing, also (according to some studies) doing HIIT for 15mins on your treadmill is better than an hour steady jog, perhaps the idea of an hour long boring jog is keeping you snugged up?

whitebalance

Starting is tough. Sometimes it takes an extrinsic motivator; e.g., I get myself out of bed for a mile walk to the corner store regardless of DOMS or weather, because it's the only way I'll get to have my morning crack (a Diet Coke, which I don't keep in the house) with my breakfast. For actual workouts, I sometimes have to whip myself into the weight room or onto the treadmill... but once I get started, as long as I don't wuss out in the first 10-15 minutes, I feel good and I really really don't want to stop. I've done this enough times now to know that I just have to provide those first few minutes of oomph from force of will, and then the love of it will kick in and I'll keep going.

anaisbutterfly7

For me, it was forming the habit. When I have consistency in my life, I feel better all around.