Exercise Motivation

aerodynamicvomit

This may be silly. It might be downright obvious. But you need exercise to lose weight, and to keep from flabbiness. I've lost about 36 pounds thusfar, almost entirely via diet changes. I have reached a significant plateau, and I KNOW I have to start getting my butt moving and in gear - but I have such a hard time with it. I kickstarted the dietary thing when it just hit me like a baseball bat, that I am 100% in control of what I put in my mouth. No one else made me eat crap and get fat - I did it. I need that same baseball bat to kick my behind into exercise gear. I need that epiphany. So I'm asking you all:

What motivates you to exercise? (besides decrease in pantsize)
Do you reward yourself?
Is it built into your routine? How did you sneak it in there?
Gym, sports, or something else?

Looking for anything, any suggestions. A friend of mine does 'piss up's. Everytime she goes to the bathroom, she'll knock out several wall pushups, or a wallsit or lunges, and states it is far less daunting to do that, which adds up over the day, than commit to a block of time at the gym, and she finds it is helping her. I find I haven't got that kind of time when I've got to pee and get back to work!

TeaBea

Motivation changes over time ...... initially what motivated me was thinking how am I going to keep the weight off? ..... once and for all. Then the motivation changed, now it's to feel better, to sleep better, to have more energy.

Just START. It doesn't have to be anything drastic at first. Find something you enjoy doing and regular exercise will be habit forming.

tageekly

What motivates you to exercise? How awesome I feel when I'm done! If I can another 5 minutes on the elliptical or an extra set of squats that I couldn't before, I feel amazing! The fact that I have replaced one set of workout clothes that fall off makes me feel pretty good too.

Do you reward yourself? Sort of. I don't have planned rewards like manicures or new shoes, but I get things that I think I'll enjoy or benefit from to keep progressing. Like I purchased a HRM and I plan to get a nice yoga mat next.

Is it built into your routine? How did you sneak it in there? I make appointments on my calendar for gym time or at home workouts. It's important enough to me that I reserve and make time just like I would to go to the doctor or meet with friends for dinner. I understand people who feel short of time and want to fit in little things throughout the day, and those add up, but the results and feeling of finishing a hard workout are unbeatable to me.

Gym, sports, or something else? I go to the gym 4-5 times per week and do something at home 4-5 times a week (to replace gym time or in addition to - yeah, I'm sorta addicted). It's really important to find something you enjoy. Try classes, DVDs or walking outside - something that will sustain your interest.

TeaBea

My initial routine was a goal of 90 minutes per week (I keep a spreadsheet). Treadmill, DVDs, whatever. Gradually I built up the number of minutes. I found that now I don't have to "plan" when I workout, I just do it.

DVDs I love .... Kelly Coffey Meyer 30 Minutes to Fitness. This is a whole series. Each DVD has 2 thirty minute workouts plus lots of premixes. Look up info at collagevideo.com

Another idea to get started ... the deck of cards workout. The hearts = cardio, the spades = lower body, diamonds = abs, and clubs = upper body. During commercial breaks (TV) deal a card .... say the 8 of hearts .... do 8 jumping jacks. This is popular in the military (requires no space or equipment).

cfergy

I was initially intimidated to go to the gym. I finally found a facility that I enjoy. I used to hate working out, but now I look at it as "me time". It isn't for anyone else. I enjoy the way I feel afterwards and it really is a stress reliever after a bad day. Once I started to see results, I wanted to go back more. It is effective.
I have days where I don't want to go, but I set goals and do it. I like the alone time with my ipod and find that it is really relaxing. I hope you get into the routine. It IS the only way to lose weight and keep it off. I realized that it has to be a part of my life-end of story.
Good luck to you. Look at it this way, 30 min a day. All your giving up is the time it takes to watch one mindless sitcom. At first you'll look at it as having to get it over with, soon, if you can't make it to the gym, you'll feel like you miss it.

Articeluvsmemphis

How did you sneak it in there?

It all starts in the mind. But of all the things I can think to say, I'll keep it short with saying that the idea of "sneaking" it in is not the best to have. Yeah some people opt for stairs vs. elevator, but to truly commit to an exercise regime it is just that, a regime like brushing my teeth. I never ask myself if I need to change my clothes or get cleaned up for the day, I just do it b/c I have to and honestly I really like to. Find a program you truly enjoy, the gym is not the only place to get fit

cantobean

What motivates me: The strength and pride I feel when I run 3 miles. The endorphins I feel afterward. And the fact that I get to eat more when I do it, talk to my friends about it when I reach a new goal, etc.

Do I reward myself: Hmm. I eat back the exercise calories, so that's kind of a reward. I buy myself more fitness equipment/clothes/etc. I'm working toward a goal: I want to run 300 miles in 2012. If I accomplish that, maybe I'll reward myself somehow. But really, I just want the accomplishment.

My routine: I don't necessarily have a set routine, which sometimes bites me in the butt, but my work schedule is not always completely predictable. I try to get 5 workouts a week. They usually include 2-3 runs, 2 resistance training sessions, and a yoga class. Sometimes I also go to zumba class. I have resistance bands at home, and my resistance workout takes 20 minutes, so it's easy to get that in. Yoga and zumba are fun because I have close friends there that I like to see, so it's worth the hour and the commute (I definitely recommend signing up for a class with a friend--community centers have them cheap!). I've struggled to squeeze in running. I've done most of my runs on the weekend, and I'm trying to hit my gym right after work, but I get so tired...

maura5880

I just think of working out as a normal part of my day. I might be in the minority, but I enjoy the gym. Some days, especially when it's freezing outside, I don't necessarily want to GET there, but I always am so happy when I do. One thing that makes it enjoyable for me is reading while I exercise. I just got a Kindle & it seriously makes the time fly by!

I reward myself with cute workout clothes--Victoria's Secret Pink has super cute stuff & Lululemon if you're willing to spend a bit more

BenderFitness

Getting better at exercises, and running motivates me. Seeing how much more you are able to accomplish as you grow stronger is a powerful thing. Also, I notice that i have more energy and positivity when I workout.

Another thing that motivates me is people who are injured or disabled who still have active lifestyles. If they can do it (and be freaking fantastic!) then I can certainly get motivated to get off my butt.

EricMurano

I find that motivation only comes when I've been regularly exercising for a week or two.

Getting back into exercise after a long hiatus, I find it really hard. That's why I'll push myself to get out the door and train. I'll put up with the discomfort of going against my laziness until that fire starts and I find myself wishing I could exercise twice a day.

BobbyClerici

I exercise, because I enjoy it as I only do what's fun to me.
It's not work but play.

And I know that exercise - both cardio and resistance - help a person look good, feel great and live long.
It's an activity I look forward to.

hsk1019

I definitely have shifted from "I have to run, I'll fit it in this morning" to waking up and running first thing. Like another poster, it's like brushing your teeth. For me the motivation is wanting to continue to see results and staying healthy for me and my family. My reward will be clothes shopping in Feb when I reach my goal. Little rewards are eating a few holiday treats and knowing exactly what I'm getting into. No guilt!

emstgm

My motivation is that I set up a laptop with streaming Netflix in front of my elliptical. Seriously. I used to watch the news while I exercised but I got bored and quit after 15 minutes. I typically do 40 minutes if I'm watching a TV episide, or up to an hour if I'm watching a movie. I don't "love" exercising, but I do love that I feel better when I do exercise, and I can eat more food!

Pebble321

For me the initial motivation was knowing that if I wanted to lose weight, regular exercise was going to be a part of the package so I just got up and did it.

I build it into my routine, so as soon as I get up I put on my exercise gear so once my husband has gone to work, I'm straight out the door without thinking about it too much. If I hang around in my PJ's it's too easy to go back to bed.

The other thiing that helps me is having a focus/reason to exercise. First it was working my way through C25K - to see if I could really run. Then I found a race to train for (12k) and I knew that it would be hard but I had to train if I wanted to complete it.
After that I found another race, another challenge (half marathon this time) so once again, I have to learn to run longer and (a bit) faster) in order to complete it.

The best benefit of all has been discovering how good I feel when I run, it really lifts my mood and has been almost the only thing (besides my lovely husband) that has kept me sane and functioning through an incredibly hard year of watching my mum decline through, and pass away from, terminal cancer.