How do you get motivated to exercise?

laurenrosebud92

Hello!

So about two years ago, I started Weight Watchers and it was amazing! I lost 30 pounds, and really learned how to eat right. Since then, I had to stop doing Weight Watchers because of the price but have been using myfitnesspal to track my food. Anyway, my question is, I have a REALLY hard time with exercise. I HATE waking up early to do it, I hate how hard it is, I hate the pain I feel after (I have scoliosis so I have chronic neck and back pain, as well as flare ups in my ankles from old injuries.) My question is, how do you stay motivated to exercise? How can I start off slow so I don't overdo it and end up in a lot of pain? I try to do a little bit each day, even if it is light stretching or yoga for a half hour, but I need more cardio to loose the weight (I lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers, but have gained about 10-15 back in the last few months.) I want to exercise and build muscle and lose fat but when it get's hard I quit. I will do it consistently for a couple days, but if I miss one day, I get into this slump and don't do it.

SO:

What are your tips to stay motivated?

What can I do that still burns fat and tones muscle but is easy on my joints?

How to I keep up with a routine every day (make it a habit)?



Any advice would be appreciated!!!

meshashesha2012

i do stuff i like to do and look forward to doing it.

maybe you need to figure out what you like doing and do those things?

and you start off slow by starting off slow. first get in the habit of doing it without worrying about heart rate zones, how many calories you're burn, how to burn more, etc. just get in the habit (and you get in the habit by doing) it takes about a month to make a new habit, so if you have to force yourself during that month to go then so be it.

if you're going at the correct pace (a pace that you can easily keep up for 45-60 minutes) then there shouldnt be any issues with injuries.

finally swimming is good if you have joint issues

MrsBrown104

I def understand the lacking motivation!!

To help myself want to work out these are some things I do:
Look at pictures of me
look up motivating quotes on pinterest.
tell myself just do it for 5 mins. then once I start I can normally push myself to 20 mins on the bike = 200 calories.

a way to keep it routine is to do it with a friend!

Good luck!

4Pookiecat

I hate exercising early in the morning. i dont want to get up to do it and then I skip it. So my advice first is to find a time that works for you. I exercise everyday. If I skip, it is too easy to skip again, and again. Doing it everyday, it just becomes part of my day and what I HAVE to get done. Next, find an exercise you can do that doesn't feel like all your thinking about is doing exercise. For example, I use a stationery bike but I read when i am doing it. I love to read so I am more engrossed in the book than I am in the exercise. Next thing you know, I have an hour done and I am finished. I also do step aerobics. I dont use a video or anything but I have a step that I step up and down on for sets of 20 minutes while I am watching a good show on TV so my mind is on the show rather than counting the minutes. I guess I DO count the minutes but not as much as I would if it was all I was thinking about!

The thing with exercise is you WILL see results. It is amazing once it happens and when it does, that is movitation to keep going!

Good luck to you.

besaro

i dont, i just go.

sharebear2012

Try a Zemba class, its fun, social and usually not in the morning! I find a mix of exercise and finding things like zumba or skiing that I actually enjoy doing help a lot. Also an hour zumba is 500 calories!! That is 500 more you can eat!

aalpass

Motivation gets you far enough to make it a habit. Once its a habit you don't need the motivation, you just do it.

Tell yourself you'll do 10minutes of whatever you find "easy" at the gym. You'll find once you start you'll keep at it.

I notice the biggest weight loss/body shape difference lifting free weights. I can do cardio until i kill myself and it really doesn't show much difference. But if you are sore and stiff do what you can do to strengthen your body, shed a few kilos and it'll be less painful and easier to do more. If yoga works for you now just do that for now. Anything is better than nothing

Trechechus

I like the way I feel when I'm done. Sweat, endorphins, feeling like a badass, having extra energy. I love doing what's right for my body. I think about my family and how they are all overweight. How my gramma's body was falling apart from misuse my whole life of knowing her, and how my dad's body cannot do what it used to because he hasn't exercised properly.

I want to be fit. I refuse to get old.

That is my motivation.

indignantgnome

I, too, am in the "just 5 minutes" group, but I push myself longer by alternating between "well, you may as well finish this mile," "now there's only 2 minutes until you get to 20 minutes!," and "hey, this is a good song! you may as well finish it out." By the time the song finishes, I'm back to one of the others, and sometimes end up going an hour or more.

RhonndaJ

I don't.

I look at it like going to work.

A necessary evil.

Nettabee

Tips to stay motivated? Go stand in the mirror naked. Are you happy? Then make a plan and change it.

If you have joint issues stick to low impact i.e. water aerobics/sports or the elliptical machine.

How to make it a habit? Don't make excuses, just do it.

boatsie77

I started by using Leslie Samson 'Walking Away the Pounds". She has a bunch of them, but you can find one that's easy, low impact and you can pick your 'mileage' with each mile = @ 15 minutes. You can do them in your PJs & sneaks in an area about 6' x 6'...and you will work up a sweat. Google it and check out some of her free stuff on YouTube. I'm planning on doing my 1st Marathon in Jan 2015 at age 60, but I started with Leslie Sansone doing 1 mile in my living room.

amberlynn1218

I started by taking progress pictures and that has helped push me to keep going. I want to be able to wear a bathing suit this summer and take my son swimming. I don't want to feel embarrassed. I started doing T25 in Sept and it is hard but man, the 25 min goes fast and then I'm done!

Willbenchforcupcakes

I don't. I love it, and when I can't exercise, it drives me nuts. Ask my friends how elated I was when I received full clearance to lift again last Monday. I know it's a privilege to be able to move my body, and I take full advantage of it.

Kollane

Find someone who would excercise with you. I have my sister, who pushes me, while I push her. Neither of us want to let other down, so we pick a class and day (be it step aerobics, yoga, bodypump, zumba or anything else) and stick to it. We choose the time and class together and pick it according to her working hours and my uni exams/classes.

Having a dog is also a great motivation, just because I can NOT skip walking her every day for 6-7 km (3-4 miles).

j67867

by checking out some hot bird ...gives me all the motivation i need

tjsoccermom

I find it difficult to work out at home, it's too easy to get side tracked into doing something else or to give up and sit on the couch. I'm much more likely to work out hard at a gym with other people around. I'm sure no one is noticing me, but just in case I want them to see me sweat no barely moving. Also, I work out harder in classes because I don't want to seem like the most out of shape person (even when I am). When it's all said and done, I love to feel tired and sweaty because then I know it was worth it.

As for your joints, definitely swimming or water work out classes. Our Y offers many of those, if you have one around I would call and ask. The other great thing about classes is you tend to make friends there and look forward to seeing them.

Eventually, working out becomes a habit, you just have to stick with it for a while. I haven't felt motivated this past week, even once I was at the gym but made myself work through it. Definitely didn't work as hard as usual but at least I got there, as for me, I find it can be easy to get out of the habit if I skip too many days.

Just push through the beginning (first few weeks or month), I promise it will get better and you might even start to enjoy exercising.

R_Queenie

I find it easier if I have a class---like it is happening at THIS time at THIS place! This way, I have it on my calendar for a specific time and not just when I get to it. Also helps if you have someone going to the same things---that way you have someone to show up FOR.

Find something you love to do and do it.

Try walking, elliptical machine, or water aerobics...water exercise is great resistance and very gentle on the joints.

Rayyn

How do you like the T25? I did the insanity for the first month but knew the high impact of month 2 was just too much. Is the T25 good and how does it compare to insanity?

Cortneyrenee04

Some days, I hate every minute of my time at the gym. And that's okay. I work out because I have to and overall, I want to. I agree with finding something you like and make sure to listen to your body if you're hurting. Good luck!

FitCanuckChick

My motivation is. Knowing that the payoff comes quicker when I excercise than when I don't. I also find exercise is me time and a way better way to relieve life's stress than bad for me food.

Shreddingitnow

Get naked take a pic

1ZenGirl

i dont, i just go.

Yes, this. Unfortunately if we wait for motivation it may never happen. Once I'm there I'm so glad I am!

lvbor

I'm a night owl. Working up the will to get up early to exercise will never happen for me--if I ever manage it I'll be shattered all day. It's hard enough getting up early enough for breakfast before work. So I exercise in the evening.

I found it easier to make exercise a habit when I found something with obvious personal benefits and limited much personal cost. For me, it's running on a trampoline at home. I don't have to worry about the time, effort, money and social issues associated with going to a gym; using the trampoline means I get a really good cardio workout with very little impact on my knees and ankles; running burns calories at a fantastic rate; I put something on tv or streaming that I really enjoy watching so the time goes quickly; and I can measure my progress (I use a step counter and convert that to approximate distance/speed) so I get the feeling of mastering a skill that helps you stick with it.

Not long after starting I've found myself looking forward to my evening run, and excuses that I would have made in the past don't entice me. Recently I've begun bodyweight strength exercises at home and am getting to enjoy that too.

aquarabbit

I down some coffee to wake me up and just go for it. I find that pushing myself is a lot easier if I do shorter workouts. I push harder and am more motivated to do them. I may go a little longer in the future, but right now, I'm really loving my 1/2 hour T25 sessions. I never feel like I didn't get a great workout in, but it didn't take the whole morning. I also try different things every now and then because for me it was important to find the right kind of workout. I'm not a treadmill girl. I get too bored, I need something that really takes some focus. Today I did a 2 hour hike up a mountain with some friends for a scavenger hunt. The other day we went bowling (although I'm pretty sure all the cocktails I had canceled that calorie burn out). And while it doesn't work for everyone, I have little pep talks with myself and keep a few inspirational quotes stored in my head to push myself into working out. My husband teases me because he can hear me in the morning talking to myself but hey! It works for me! Anyways, I hope that you find a way to enjoy it. Remember it's all in your head, so try to find a way to win the battle and get into a positive mindset before the workouts and the time will fly by so much easier.

eldamiano

2 things really. 1. Try and beat your last achievement e.g running time. 2. Do it with other people.

joolywooly33

When I started last January, I had to force myself to exercise, now I love it and look forward to working out every day. When I cant be bothered or am feeling tired, I put on my workout gear and trainers and that is usually the hardest part.

Have you heard of Callanetics? I would highly recommend and may be suitable for you..... good luck!

BethamiLawson

I never thought I would be the kind of person who would look forward to exercising. Seriously! I always looked at it as a chore. That's changed for me in the last year. Now I truly miss it when I don't get my workouts in.

I think the key is to figure out what sort of activity/venue works for you and everyone is different. I have found that I enjoy outdoors circuit training.

Personally, I also do best when there is the accountability of having someone waiting for you to show up and work out with them. Find a friend who is committed to working out & plan "exercise dates."

I pay for a month of group circuit-training bootcamps/training sessions at a time and know that my trainer and "workout buddies" are there waiting for me to show up. I purposefully pay ahead of time, so that I know I'd be losing out on the money I spent if I flake on a session. Most of the time, the sessions are outdoors in a park so I also get to enjoy my surroundings while working out. (I live in CA & we are fortunate to be able to do that almost year-round. :flowerforyou:)

I don't know where you live, but I would suggest going on meetup-dot-com and looking for exercise groups in your area or experiment with different physical activities through groupon or livingsocial deals. Try out various things & see whats works for you. I've tried Zumba classes, yoga studios, cardio classes, etc. through special deals like that. If you like something - great! If you try it & don't like it - you didn't blow a ton of money and it was a new experience.

I hope you find the physical activity that works for you. It really helps not only with weight loss, but with mood and stress reduction.


Edit: P.S.: I bought a FitBit & that also motivates me. I like checking my activity level on it throughout the day.

godot77

I also usually kind of dread it. I have found workouts I like ok, and one I love. (I like Beachbody "Slim in 6" but I loved "T25"). I'm on the 2nd level of "Slim in 6" and there are parts I just really don't like. The entire plie section. And most of the squat section. I just suck it up and do my best. If I do my best every time, I feel better for having done my best.

The thing I find most encouraging, is that every time I do these workouts, SOMETHING goes easier. Strength literally improves with every workout. So, I focus on the positive and push myself, and afterward I get a hot shower and if I'm hungry, food. And the best feeling of course, is having it behind me for one more day. Every day that I work out, I feel like I am doing everything I can to improve my shape. I can't say that I ever really overeat in a horrible way on days I've worked out. It grows muscle and motivation just by keeping at it.

So, keep it up. For joint pain, maybe someone has mentioned this, but I'd see a doctor and see about medication or herbal tinctures that might help with that. It's something to keep an eye on, and get help for if it's holding you back. And maybe different exercises would be worth considering. I have plantar fasciitis and I don't do high impact while I'm heavy because I don't want to aggravate that.

bekahlou75

Wine motivates me. Extra exercise = extra wine.

kellapicola

Here's something that help me on those days I just don't want to do a long session or class. Try doing a 20 minute HIIT program--either on the elliptical or treadmill. Or you can even do Tabata's--they are a very quick but extremely intense short session of exercise. This way, you can just tell yourself you don't need to "find" a lot of time to get your exercise in and doing it for the shorter period and more intense type sessions gives you great calorie burn and results. Just look some different ones on Pinterest or Google--there's tons of different types out there. Good luck