It's so hard for me to find the motivation to exercise...

PeekABooGirl

I absolutely have hated exercise! But I've started finding things that are fun to keep me motivated. Wii Just Dance is really fun to get you moving. Or Zumba if you like that sort of thing. But one thing I've found is that if you just force yourself to start doing SOMETHING, after a few weeks you actually start to enjoy it and look forward to it. Even if you can just get out and walk for 30min....it's a good place to start. Start slow and work your way up. But the key is finding something that you enjoy!

Good luck!!

yodapooper

I have the same problem with exercise only it's pain that usually forces me to quit. I have pain in my knees and pain in one hip that drives me crazy whenever I try to walk , even a slow walk. I pick up the pace just to get it over with and burn more calories but I can't make it, as yet, more than 15min. before I have to stop. Everyone tries to do some form of workout but maybe going dancing on a saturday night might be more fun......yah think? Lol But, it's exercise none the less!! Look at dancing with the stars and how many of them have lost allot of weight. It's great exercise. Just look for something u can actually get done with quickly but still burn many calories and maybe you might find u actually like it.........Good luck!

reepobob

There are few days that I relish working out, but I always feel great when I am done. It has to be an accepted part of your life. What keeps me motivated is how I look, how I feel, and what I still need to accomplish. I am still a work in progress and will always be a work in progress. You either have the fire and determination to get it done or you don't. The support on this site will only take you so far...

Good luck.

beaut39

I was having the same issues with lack of motivation. Last week I hired a personal trainer and met her for the first time three days ago. I have worked with trainers before and I know what to do. She was very impressed with my knowledge. I let her know the reason I hired her is because I keep appointments. I remember how great I felt when I was eating right and working out regularly, but for some reason, I still haven't been able to stop eating junk and start working out this time. I also started meeting a coworker at the gym before work. Again, I will go because I know she's expecting me and I would never be a no-show.

So my tactic is to meet with a trainer. She took my measurements, took me through a fitness test to see where I am physically and we discussed my goals. She then gave me a cardio "assignment" to complete during the week and she gave me eating tips. This will work for me because 1.) I keep appointments. 2.) Having to meet her will make me accountable. I don't want to be embarrassed if I am not making progress when she does my next fitness evaluation. 3.) I know I will work out at least on the days I meet her.

It's so easy for people to say, "Just do it!" but if it was that simple, everyone would be slim and healthy. Think about what your "thing" is - like mine is the fact that if I have an appointment, I will keep it. If having to pay a trainer results in weight loss and better health, then it'll be worth it!

Momkat65

Purchase a bike trainer.
You place you bikes rear tire in it, adjust tension or shift gears and pedal away indoors!

folmar

I think these are all good suggestions. My experience has been that I hardly ever FEEL like exercising. However after I've forced myself to do it, I usually FEEL pretty good afterward and always FEEL better about myself. The secret to my losing 50 lbs was doing the things that I didn't FEEL like doing. One of those things was writing down my results. Tracking every single calorie and minute of exercise worked for me because I knew that what I did or didn't do was going to be on the computer the next day and that motivated me . Diets, resolutions, goals and plans for the future don't work for me. Writing down the past on a daily basis does. My goal is to get healthy as evidenced by a change to healthy habits in exercising and food intake. So I keep it simple and force myself to choose healthier foods, eat half as much as I used to and get to the gym 4 days a week. I really believe that successful people do the things that unsuccessful people aren't willing to do whether in exercising or in life.

cloud2011

You might be going through a sort of burnout. It can happen when you're dedicated to counting calories and exercising.

If you decide to exercise, there are other ways to exercise besides the usual ways...and burning calories. Stand instead of sitting, park far away from the store (or other place). Take stairs at work; find stairs and climb them if you don't have any at work. Go to the mall to take a walk, even if you don't plan to buy anything. The mall near my house opens early just for walking. 7 days a week. Or just walk when everyone is there.

Pick a project around the house and do it. At least you're up and around. You can always buy a pedometer and wear it; some people do that and strive for a certain number of steps a day, which is not the same as having to do x minutes on a treadmill or elliptical.

The other thing is, if you're not outside much, you might need to get a little sun. Early in the day is supposed to be the best for your mood. I sometimes just stand outside when my daughter goes to the bus stop.

rmdaly

It is so easy to be lazy and not exercise. You have to find what works for you, but these are some things that have worked for me over the years and I am pretty consistent with exercise anymore.

1) Plan it and do it. If I plan to run in the morning, I get all my stuff ready the night before. If I exercise at lunch, I make sure I have what I need. I try not to ask myself if I "feel like " doing it because I will just talk myself out of it. Telling myself I will exercise "later" never happens. If I don't exercise first thing in the day then I try to plan when I am going to exercise.

2) I agree with the people who recommend a gym and classes. That's another thing that you just plan and do. You can't procrastinate. You will meet people in the class and make friends and that will start to make you accountable. I swim with a group at 5:45am and sometimes what motivates me to get there is hoping to see friends that I don't see anywhere else.

3) Try baby steps. If I really don't feel like doing something, I bargain with myself. I tell myself to just get my workout gear on. Or get to the gym. Once I am at that point, I tell myself I only need to do it for a few minutes and if I feel like stopping I can. Once I start working out and get to those few minutes, I generally can finish the workout. If I am still feeling lousy (which is rare), I stop and congratulate myself for just getting to that point.

4) I download books and listen to them when I work out. When its a really good book, I can't wait to workout so I can find out what happens next.