Can't find my inspiration to work out!!

Help!! Please share. What do you do to keep motivated and exercise everyday? I was ok 2 months ago and now it seems a bit hard to start.

:frown:
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Replies

  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    When I am tired and want to skip my 4:30 AM workout I get on the scale. If its up I push on to the workout. If it down I can skip but usually get excited and go workout anyway.
  • lenac87
    lenac87 Posts: 383 Member
    I'm in for suggestions, I'm kind of in a funk right now too. I know I never regret getting my workout in but actually going to workout is what I struggle with lately.
  • blukitten
    blukitten Posts: 922 Member
    I need these same suggestions. I too am in a funk and dont want to go workout today. Didnt want to go yesterday but went anyway and only did the bare minimum. How to get my enthusiasm back?? Cant wait to get suggestions!
  • prgirl39mfp
    prgirl39mfp Posts: 3,154 Member
    I am in that same spot lena... so hard to find my inspiration. I have gained over the summer, no big deal, but I am in a funk about exercise. Need inspiration!! thanks for you replies!
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
    Sometimes, inspiration/motivation NEVER comes. That's when Dedication has to take over.
  • tibby531
    tibby531 Posts: 717 Member
    do it, anyway. you'll never regret pushing yourself to it and through it.

    I have those days. my finger hovers over the "play" button on my videos, and I just have to yell at myself, "the sooner you start, the sooner you'll be done. push the button. PUSH THE BUTTON!"

    and make sure it's something you enjoy. if you don't enjoy it during or after... try something else. find what works for you. :smile:
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    When this happens to me I go outside and casually stroll around in the nice free vitamin D sunshine. It's not really exercise but it's healthy and burns a few calories and it beats sitting in my chair 24/7.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
    Sometimes, inspiration/motivation NEVER comes. That's when Dedication has to take over.

    ^^^ So much this. I feel for you guys who are struggling right now, but the plain truth is that nobody out here will find it for you. If you want the results enough, you WILL do it. Maybe you just aren't at that place yet, and that's ok. Perhaps some self-reflection about why you want to work out, why you don't actually go, what you like to do, etc would help?
  • kristinhowell
    kristinhowell Posts: 139 Member
    I just get up and do it.
    I'll feel better afterwards.

    Sometimes you just need a little tough love and a kick in the *kitten*.
    Or maybe a little Pinterest. Just make sure to actually workout after reading all the motivational quotes.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Do you have to be inspired to go to work? Or pick up your kids? Take your dog to the vet? Get the oil in your car changed?

    Usually not.

    Stop waiting to be inspired and just get it done.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Can't find my inspiration to work out!!

    I often feel the same way about doing the dishes, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, pulling the weeds, etc...but they need doing so I do them.

    1 - You don't have to workout EVERY day...you should have scheduled rest days

    2 - Do exercise that you like doing...you would never catch me jumping around my living room like some kind of jack *kitten* to a DVD or droning away some random piece of cardio equipment...you will find me outside on my bike that I ride about 60 miles per week...you will find me on the hiking and nature trails around town...you will find me in the weight room usually 3x per week. These are things I enjoy...they aren't a chore. Yes, there are times where I'm really not feeling it, but that's when habit kicks in...and sometimes I sit back an evaluate if I really do need a bit more rest which is sometimes the case if I've really been going strong.

    3 - Healthy habits take time to build...but you have to build them. Motivation and inspiration come and go...habits die hard.

    4 - Don't overdo it...so many people think they need to be doing endless hours of exercise or going until they puke to get a good workout. This is only going to lead to burn out and really not looking forward to your workouts. My rides generally take me about 60 minutes and my lifting sessions generally take me 45 - 60 minutes...that is all...unless I'm actually training for an event I really don't go beyond that 60 minute mark very often and I always take my rest days.

    5 - Establish actual fitness goals, not just calorie burning goals or whatever...when you have actual fitness goals that you are trying to achieve, this helps to keep your motivation up...especially when you start smashing them and setting the bar higher. Just exercising to burn calories gets pretty old pretty quick. Start thinking of your calorie burn as simply a nice bi-product of rocking your fitness rather than thinking of calorie burn as the purpose behind your fitness. Fitness has so many other benefits that go way beyond burning a few calories.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    Help!! Please share. What do you do to keep motivated and exercise everyday? I was ok 2 months ago and now it seems a bit hard to start.

    :frown:

    When I'd started, it was fairly easy to get me motivated ... All I needed to do was catch my reflection in the mirror or anything really > Ooohh LAWD [gasp] >> Seeing that, was all the motivation I needed to workout. Now, my progress pics [focussed on problem areas] gets my butt in the gym or out for my run.

    ETA: the
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    Everything I do is fun to me. No need for inspiration or motivation to have fun.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    I treat my workouts the same as my job: it is on my daily schedule and is necessary. I don't stop and ask myself, "Do I feel like going to the gym today?" because I'll answer NO a lot. Same thing for work, right? You ALWAYS feel better after a workout, too!
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    Also, I've noticed certain "cycles" during the year. Common ebbs and flows and this time of year - late, lazy days of summer - are generally the worst! Cut yourself some slack. Be active but don't make it miserable or regimented and believe in yourself that the motivation will return. It has peaks and valleys just like our weight fluctuations, our food choices, etc.
  • ksolksol
    ksolksol Posts: 194 Member
    @cwolfman: You said everything I had in mind. Exercise is the joy of movement. Pick something you like to do and it won't feel so much like a chore.
  • rh091
    rh091 Posts: 100 Member
    Incorporating it into your daily routine and habits so that it doesn't feel like a "chore" or something you have to do is best I think. For example, walking can be great exercise, so why not ask a friend to take a long walk with you? As for motivation to get started, find the thing that is driving you to lose weight, for example mine is my health, and use that as a motivator. It's really a mental thing to start, and then once you do and make it part of a routine I think it's easier. Find workouts and exercises that you enjoy doing.

    Also, determine if there isanything holding you back from working out. For example, I was nervous to start going to the gym again but once I went and broke the ice its fine!
  • xMrBunglex
    xMrBunglex Posts: 1,121 Member
    Do you have to be inspired to go to work? Or pick up your kids? Take your dog to the vet? Get the oil in your car changed?

    Usually not.

    Stop waiting to be inspired and just get it done.

    BINGO.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Do you have to be inspired to go to work? Or pick up your kids? Take your dog to the vet? Get the oil in your car changed?

    Usually not.

    Stop waiting to be inspired and just get it done.

    this this this.

    it has absolutely buptkiss to do with motivation or inspiration- you just go do the thing.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I treat it like I do my job. 98% of the time I go because I've scheduled a workout, whether I feel like it or not. The other 2% I let myself "call in 'sick.'"
  • Sweetvirgo63
    Sweetvirgo63 Posts: 119 Member
    I've been there too; I think the majority of us regular folks all hit slumps every now and then when it comes to going to the gym. I went from going 5 days a week to once a week for a few months. Now, I'm back to going 5 days a week. I didn't kick myself for it because I stayed active over the course of weekends by doing some walking and kayaking. My inspiration is that I'm not getting any younger and I know how I feel after working out.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Motivation comes from within. What you need to do is find something that will motivate you to work out and find a way to remind yourself of that reason whenever you're not feeling up to it. There's nothing wrong with skipping a day here and there. You can also lose weight without working out; it's not absolutely necessary. However, it will make reaching your goal that much easier and improving your activity level is a very good thing to do for yourself.

    I know as well as anyone the desire to stay in my nice comfortable bed and get another half hour or hour of sleep. Then I realize that if I don't run in the morning when it's still relatively cool I'd have to wait until after work when it's 100° outside and that usually gets me going. When that's not motivation enough I remember the reasons why I'm running in the first place. That usually does the trick but some days, I don't run. It won't kill me to miss a day here and there.

    I'd suggest making a list of reasons you decided to work out in the first place. What motivated you to do it when you first started? Was it to fit into a particular piece of clothing? Because you want to be around longer for your family? Take that list and post it where you'll see it when you're debating that workout. Another option is to try to find a workout buddy. I lift weights twice a week and beyond my own desire to get stronger I go each day because I don't want to let my partner down or have him see me "wimp out"
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    So here's what I do. I go to the gym but give myself permission to work out for only 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes, I'm just not feeling it I leave myself the option to give it up. I mean, 10 minutes is better than nothing right?

    So far, I've never quit after 10 minutes. Once I start, I'm okay. It's the starting that's hard.
  • Zelinna
    Zelinna Posts: 207 Member
    Sometimes, inspiration/motivation NEVER comes. That's when Dedication has to take over.

    This!
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    Are you doing something that you enjoy? Something that challenges you? Something you want to do better/faster next time?

    I get up at 4:30 to go to the gym and am happy to do it because I like lifting weights. I also know that I would never set foot in my gym after work (it is nightmarishly crowded and I have to drive around for 10 minutes just to park), so I can't sleep in and do it later. But the biggest motivating factor for me: if I miss a session or 2 I will probably have to take a step back in terms of my strength gains, so I don't like to do it. I have a standing appointment with myself MWF every week, no excuses.

    You have to find your own motivation. If none of that helps, if exercising just really isn't your thing - you can still lose weight without it.
  • Fsunami
    Fsunami Posts: 241 Member
    Basically?

    You have to decide how important it is to you & treat it accordingy.

    In my case? I decided I didnt want to die prematurely. I have too much left to give to the people I love.

    What I was doing didnt work for 44 years. I have photos to prove it :)

    Thats my story and I am sticking to it.

    Sometimes, what we cannot do, we must.....

    Good luck to you

    Fsunami
  • DanielGray73
    DanielGray73 Posts: 17 Member
    I'll tell you what helps me best. Everything is a game. I count steps and I'm included into weekly challenges but I'm not content to just beat my opponents oh no! that won't do. If they do 5k steps I'm doing 10k!

    If you ride a bike, get on Strava. See someone has set a time that you reckon you should own? Take it!

    My feeling is if you want to help yourself then why not make damn sure you are letting everyone else know that you are going to go that extra mile?
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    Exercise - Walking, Running, Stretching, Core, Pushups, Weights, Cycling has become my refuge and escape now because I do it regularly.

    I workout so that I can FIND my inspiration now :smile: :smile: :smile:
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    Help!! Please share. What do you do to keep motivated and exercise everyday? I was ok 2 months ago and now it seems a bit hard to start.

    :frown:

    Inspiration and motivation are finite resources. What you need is discipline. Pick a time, put it on your calendar and go. No excuses.

    More details here.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/usmcmp/view/discipline-688522
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    get some fitness goals and work towards them. that's really the only thing i can think of. i love exercising, always have and one of the main things i like is getting a goal, smashing it and then creating a new goal.

    sample goals can be stuff like doing x number of pushups in y minutes, 10 pullups, 3500 m row in 15 mins, deadlifting more than you weigh, etc.

    i basically consider the gym as my play time, sort of like recess when i was a kid and could run around doing monkey bars, playing kick ball, etc