How do you get motivated to exercise?

Fit_Mama84

I would suggest finding something you enjoy doing and find a friend to do it with. And on days you don't feel like doing it, do it anyway. Even if it's just 10 minutes. Most likely, after 10 minutes you'll want to finish your workout. One other thing that worked for me is creating a little poster with pictures representing the reasons I want to lose weight and get healthy. When I start to lose motivation I'll pull my poster out and it usually keeps me going. It's a little silly but it works for me.

nellie1967

I also have a really hard time motivating myself to exercise. There's some really good suggestions posted that I need to try, thanks!

goalie234

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

I couldnt agree more ! Stay motivated enought o make it a habit .. And for motivation dont just rely on scales and dress sizes .. It is a healthier lifestyle change and thats a good enough motivation ..
I look for motivation here in these forums and see the journey so many people have had .. Motivates me on all those days when i cant get my *kitten* to get off the couch lol ..
Also at the gym when you are exercising , dont keep thinking about the weight loss .. Let your mind relax and enjoy the time and space without all the clutter ..
Just keep going !

mstrhck

Well, I have been through it all, spending so much of my life choosing to be very overweight and from time to time trying to change magically from being out of shape and obese to fit and muscular. I am lazy and I like junk food.

Last year, someone close to me signed up to do an Ironman. This year, that person and a few more of us decided to sign up and do one as well. Nothing I have ever done in the past has motivated me more than having my training schedule on my computer, and being able to tick off every workout that I complete. I use a color-coded scheme to keep myself in check. Red is a missed workout, yellow is a decent partial, and green means I did it, baby!

I can influence my motivation from two directions: One, before I am supposed to have a workout, I work on removing every obstacle to the workout so that I am only facing my internal opposition to it, not to all of the other extraneous factors. For instance, if I have to do an indoor bike workout, I will move everything out of the way, set up my indoor trainer, and put on my workout gear. Everything is ready for hopping on the bike and pressing 'start' on my timer. I have found that this drastically removes resistance to doing my workout. I just keep telling myself, "remove the obstacles," until there are no other obstacles. Once you're all suited up and ready to go, it is so much easier to just do it.

The second direction comes from avoiding the pride hit if I have to color my workout in my training spreadsheet yellow or red. If I show up and do my best, I get the green. Keep in mind that I am a lazy person! Somehow, being able to punch in that green, and my reluctance to "color myself" red or yellow works wonders, at least for me.

My third secret weapon is listening to USMC cadences and other motivating material. It makes a huge difference for me and maybe it will for you too. Good luck, you can do this.

cdwwench

There are some really good suggestions for exercising from everyone.

Think about what type of activities you enjoy and how you can incorporate movement into your day. I don't think of it as working out, exercising...but as getting healthy. I'm on a journey to wellness, so it is more than just exercising.

I began working out with a friend. She dragged me to the gym and to boot camp classes. I found out my lungs needed more work so I could complete workouts and began walking. I started using a fitbit one t track my steps and stairs and to incorporate more movement in my daily activities. I also took Aqua Zumba classes. I could move in water without having an asthma attack. I started with a couple walks/runs for local charities and am continuing. I am finishing my second round of an Everyday Person's Ironman within 2 months. I also participated in a Virtual Run in January. Think of a goal where you are accountable and schedule training sessions, not workouts. I am signed up for a sprint triathlon this summer with friends and relatives. I finished last year (barely) and want to do better this year. As I get healthier, I am more encouraged to find ways to exercise and keep moving.

Find a group of friends, use this group too, announce your intentions and schedule sessions. Take note of how you feel as you accomplish your goals. If nothing else, put on music and dance! You can move and get healthy too.

workout_ninja

I started exercising last January and I said I would commit myself to 3 days a week. I started the couch to 5k programme which was 20-30 minutes of exercising. I found that running was the exercise for me and did it more than 3 times. You have to find what you enjoy doing. I stuck with it and its now at the point where I have to exercise, there is no doubt in my mind, and I do it 6-7 days a week. You have to form the habit and to do that, you just have to push yourself. Only you can do that. Find an exercise you like that doesn't hurt too much (remember all new exercises will hurt) and commit to 3 days a week - or even 2 to get you started, that means if you skip a day, there is always tomorrow.

EdTheGinge

My motivation, well last nights was to think what would be going through people's minds that drove passed me as I got battered by the wind and the rain. I do it because it gives me an escape.

Greytfish

Find yourself a workout routine and then plan out your workouts on a calendar. Each day you workout, you can check off that day.

Understand it will suck and you won't be comfortable in the beginning. Understand that's really how your body feels all the time, it's just spread out ofver time, so you don't notice the discomfort as much, or the damage it does.

Working out and strengthening your muscles, especially your back, will probably be quite uncomfortable initially, but strengthening your back and core can actually alleviate symptoms long term, especially if you pair it with something like hatha yoga.

ModQuad

Here are ways I motivate myself:

1. Just start moving!!! I tell myself I can stop after 10 minutes. But I never feel like stopping by that time. (Except once, and turns out I had the flu!)

2. Do things that I enjoy!!! I chose activities that make me so happy, I look forward to them rather than dreading them, like going hiking on the weekends.

3. Make it practical!!! I do things that fit seamlessly into my schedule. When I bike or walk to/from work, it takes that same amount of time as driving in traffic or taking public transportation, so why not bike? Two birds, one stone.

4. Make it sustainable!!! I don't do things that are impossible or impractical, like 5 hours/day at the gym. Some weeks I work out a lot, (18 hours if I spend both weekend days hiking or biking) some weeks only a little (30min/day if I go on vacation), but I keep my exercise hours within a spectrum (4-18 hours) that's easy to maintain.

cdwwench

I finished my one challenge and doing more stretching and yoga and know I need to get walking again. Doing something every day, but have to get more intense. Plans are to step it up after doctor appointments next week. I keep telling myself to follow my plan, but it is so hard at the moment. Thanks for the push.

uconnwinsnc

I'm 22 years old, about to turn 23 in 2 months. I see 17/18 year olds who are in better shape than me. What is that garbage? I refuse to accept that there are kids just finishing high school and entering college that are stronger than me. No way, buddy. My motivation is to be the best I can be, which is better than everyone else. :bigsmile:

dtimedwards

Pie, Women, and stupid irrational goals/OCD

I love hiking and I love food and beer. The calorie burns I was getting from all-day hikes over the summer allowed me to eat awesome stuff and drink lots of amazing beer. As the days were getting shorter and colder, I realized I needed I more time-efficient method of getting a big calorie allowance. I did some half-assed attempts at running, but nothing really stuck.

One day I was out of town for work and was out on a jog. I decided I wanted to go to the world famous pie place, and since I didn't have a car, my feet had to get me there. Since I didn't have time to walk there, eat, and get back to where I was staying in time for that day's activities, I realized I HAD to run. That got me to realize that running was not horrible.

Over the next month or so I started running. Mainly to build up endurance to play hockey, and also to be ready for a couple week long hking trips I've got planned for the summer. Then I started running with a girl. On the days we didn't run, I had to run harder, faster, longer so I could look better on our "dates". Then she suggested we do a marathon together, and like a schmuck I said yes.

She got went out of town for a couple weeks at Christmas, so I really cranked up the training. I accidentally let some people at work know what I was doing. Then she came back and said she couldn't do the marathon, but by the point I had already committed myself, and told too many people.

So now, every morning, I get out of bed and say "Goddamn B*tch, I've gotta run because of the marathon because of her and so I can have duck leg confit and a couple Elysians tonight"

VBnotbitter

I don't like my job, I am completely unmotivated to go every single morning. I don't enjoy a single minute whilst I'm there. But I go every single day because I have to, and when I am there I do my best to do a good job because I have to.

I view exercise in the same light

abadvat

I look at myself in the mirror coming out of the shower and see changes every other day and freakin love it!

abadvat

I don't like my job, I am completely unmotivated to go every single morning. I don't enjoy a single minute whilst I'm there. But I go every single day because I have to, and when I am there I do my best to do a good job because I have to.

I view exercise in the same light

More or less you are saying that you don't like what you do at work, you don't like what you do outside of work but you force yourself to do it anyway :noway:

ellet123

I motivated myself by just going to the sports shop and getting my self a sports kit and trainers. don't think about it just do it, plus you'll feel amazing afterwards!

TheBigYin

I just get up, look in the mirror, realise what riding my bike has done for me in the last couple of years, and I can hardly wait to get out riding again... Even if, like today, its only a couple of degree's above freezing, the rain's horizontal in a 20mph wind.

This is Why...

VBnotbitter

I don't like my job, I am completely unmotivated to go every single morning. I don't enjoy a single minute whilst I'm there. But I go every single day because I have to, and when I am there I do my best to do a good job because I have to.

I view exercise in the same light

More or less you are saying that you don't like what you do at work, you don't like what you do outside of work but you force yourself to do it anyway :noway:

:laugh: :laugh: yeah I am either really miserable and at war with the world or you completely missed the point. Are you not very good with analogies :indifferent: