When Do You Workout? Do you fight with yourself to get off y

DietPep1978

When do you work out? Do you fight with yourself to get off your butt? HOW do you get yourself out there when you are not feeling it? What goes on in your mind to motivate you? What do you say to yourself and how do you decide when?




I have this notion in my head that I need to workout in the morning. It would be best for me to workout in the morning because then it would be done, I could come home and relax and spend time with family. I also love working out in the morning.

The reality...I CANNOT get my *kitten* out of the bed in the morning. I am wondering if I should just stop fighting with this ideal I have and hit the gym late in the evening when I have the time.

Anyone else go through this struggle on getting out there? Did it go away for you? You never encountered this? How and when do you get up and off your butt? What motivates you?

Thanks in advance for your opinion and sharing your story!

deniseearheart

I do and it sucks even through my workout I am dreading every second of it and then it ends and I feel soooo much better

couponsaver79

I work out at 5 AM because that is the only realistic time I can fit in working out. I use to have a workout partner who would go with me, but she has decided to go with another option, so now its harder for me to motivate myself to get out of bed and go. I wish I had a better answer, YES I fight with myself and the alarm clock. My husband's negative comments dont help much. It would be nice to have someone to check in with to make sure I go every day, and a reward for getting up and going, because I feel so much better when I do work out!

chattychick

I have been an advocate of both mornings and evenings at different times. Currently I do most of my running after work (around 4 p.m., except on Wednesday when I do it with my running club at 6). In the past I used to get up at 4:30 a.m. to run bfore work, but lately I like sleeping in. Do what you can do.

microwoman999

Yes I fight it a lot! I used to tell myself get up in the morning and do it to get it over with for the day! I gave up on that a long time ago. I workout at night and yes I do it an hour before bed and still fall asleep just fine. I already have to get up for work early and have to be there at 6:45am so its hard to get up earlier that that.

sonyachan

Definitely just get it done when you can. Fit it into your daily routine, then you'll be more likely to stick with it. I personally make long-term goals, like training for a race, to get motivated. I also like following structured workout routines. Just gives me a goal, something to work toward and be able to say I did that. Good luck!

Riverofbeauty

I get up before work (6am) and do it - get it out of the way for the day.

If I do it as soon as I get up I can't put it off.

stormieweather

I look forward to my workouts. They have a prime slot in my daytime lineup . Seriously, they're fun and I feel great afterwards. I think I'm addicted!!

themommie

Yes I too have this struggle, it helps me if I just tell myself to do it for 10 mins and after 10 mins I almost always do more. I think you should work out whenever you can work it in. curious to see others answers

revadiana

I'm having a stare down with my elliptical right now. Ugh.. I might as well get off my *kitten*...

jadedone

It depends. I used to workout in the evening, but I found I was prone to excuses.

I have been doing mostly am workouts for the past 6 weeks. It is a struggle for sure. This week, I am off schedule with the time change. Hopefully I can get back on track tomorrow.

But the best thing to do is have everything you possibly need prepped so there are no excuses.

When I exercised after work, I made sure I had 2 sets of gym clothes, my water bottle, some powder to flavor my water, and I made sure I had a pre-workout snack available so I couldn't use hunger as an excuse not to go.

Now I pick out my clothing the night before, I fill up my water bottle, make sure my ipod is charged and put everything together in the same place so when I wake up I can brush my teeth and go. This also makes sure I can wake up as late as possible to go to the gym.

I target 3 days a week (MWF) and I have done a pretty good job to date. I have done 2 afternoon workouts in place of the morning ones. I completely skipped the gym one week because of work deadlines, but I fit in a little bit of exercise that week too. Not 100% but much better than I was before.

AZackery

Baby steps is the key. Our bodies are lazy on it's own. It doesn't want to do anything, we have to take control over our bodies and make it exercise. Set your alarm clock for the time you want to get up and get up. Don't let your body win. It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier later on.

saragato

I work out as soon as I get up. Problem is, I'm not very easy to get out the bed so I tend to stare at the clock and debate another hour of sleep before I finally decide to get up. Sometimes I don't really want to but I tell myself if I don't, I'll just reinforce the lazy half of me and be that much further from my goal.

Basically I tell myself if I don't I'm an idiot. Tough love.

canroadrunner

I'm a hypnotist and I teach weight loss seminars. One of the things I tell my clients is that they have to commit to 30 secs of exercise every single day. I don't care if they walk out the front door, down the steps and back in the house but they have to commit to 30 secs. That's their goal. If they get started and do more, great, but they aren't allowed to change the goal to higher than 30 secs. daily.

The theory is that the hardest part of the motivation is actually getting your butt moving. If you think you have to do 20 minutes or an hour you can find excuses not to do it but if all you really have to do to satisfy your goal is do 30 secs, you will move. Of course, you always find that if you get up to do the 30secs, you end up doing more but it's that 30 sec goal that gets you off the couch.

I call hypnosis the voice in the back of the head that propels you to do the right things. My little voice literally does say, it's 30 secs, get going, you only have to do 30 secs. By the time I put my running shoes on, I'm ready to do more and I usually do 45 minutes.

petreebird

I workout when my son get's out of school. My fiance, son and myself all joined a gym so we go together. My son is 16 and is really into fitness, he's a wrestler, and has been training me...:happy: He's quite motivating too!!

Denjo060

i love to work out it releaves a lot of stress from the day I mix it up so its always different If I dont work out one day Im lost and feel gulty

MissSaraSunshine

I usually work out in the late morning/ early afternoon (not as many people at them gym) and sometimes I debate in my head whether or not "I want to go", but anymore it's something that I don't even try to think about... I just make it something that I need to do. Right now what is motivating me the most is that I have went down a pant size, and although I can't see a difference, it is reassuring that my body is changing--- and I want more of that to happen. But the struggle is still there occasionally, but if you at least go for a half hour and give it your all, then it's over before you know it

susannamarie

No, because I found something I love to do and look forward to daily.

Try, perhaps, something nonstandard that still is exercise.

katiebythebay

I attend bikram yoga in the evening because of my schedule - can't do anything in the AM due to the kids' schedules.

But I fit in elliptical stints, anywhere between 5 to 25 min. here and there, at work right before lunch time and during the late afternoon.

Someone told me that if you workout before eating, your body burns more calories trying to "calm itself down", thus you'll burn the lunch calories more efficiently than if you were sedentary the entire time.

~katie

Ceceamanda

It varies. Yesterday and today I had work in the evening so I had no choice but to work out in the mornings. Now tomorrow - I'm already starting the motivational talk in my head. I don't HAVE to work out in the morning but I tell myself I know when I get home I'm going to want my couch and to put my feet up. When my one voice says "that sounds amazing" I remind it how crappy I'll feel tomorrow at 8pm when I finish up my daily goals and have no exercise logged. How crappy I'll feel always motivates me. Mix that with reminding myself it is an abnormal 70 degrees here in MN this week - tank top and short weather is right around the corner...now's the time to make the change if I don't want to beat myself up all summer when viewing pics with friends and confidence wise all together. Just doing it feels way better than the other option.

So you just need to find what drives you. Is it to lose weight so you can do more activities w/ your family? Being healthier just to enjoy your time with your family? Whatever it is....find it and hold onto it. When you hit snooze in the morning it'll be that reason that'll help.

Oh and as a Jillian fan - sometimes you gotta picture her barging in and screaming at you to get your butt up and moving. LOL

lyddsmom

I exercise first thing in the morning. I have been doing this M-F for just over 2 years now. It is just what I do...my life. I guess it has become a habit. But I started in the morning so I would not have the whole day to put it off and make excuses. It is also great because sometimes I'll workout twice a day when I have the time. If I don't have the time to workout in the afternoon, no worries because I've already taken care of it in the morning. I have come to love working out and miss it when I'm sick or not able to go. On the weekend I have recently started a morning habit too. I'm not as faithful with it though because that is when we get yard work done, or visit family, etc. Sometimes we go hiking or biking though and yard work can be considered exercise too. So many times I am working out 7 days a week at least once if not twice a day.

My advice is to workout when you will be the most motivated and most likely to stick with it. Just do it and eventually it will become a habit.

catpow2

You have to try to make it a habit--something you do at a particular time on particular days. I imagine this is harder when you have a family, though. I have a flexible schedule on T/Thurs so I go running first thing in the morning--get it out of the way. Another thing that helps: downloading new workout music that I really want to hear. Then I only listen to it during my run/workout. So if I want to hear it, I have to wait until I go on my run, and then I'm more motivated and excited about going on my run.

marydb0000

I belong to my local YMCA and go every morning with a friend at 5am. It works for two reasons: I have a buddy who I feel accountable to, and it's the same group there most days so there is a social aspect. Third reason: it's done for the day. I've been doing this for over 2 years now and it really works.

One thing I will say for early morning workouts - I've come to LOVE Saturday and Sunday mornings when I can "sleep in" until 7:00!

I don't think I could do it without my friend. Workout partners really make a difference!

MMarvelous

I am not the BEST morning person. So every Monday I take a week's worth of work out clothes, head to the restroom to change 10 mins before my work day is over and head to the gym right after work. My classes usually start 30 mins after work, so I am either right on time or 10 mins late. I have found some late classes for days that I work late or have a meeting after work. The only morning class I do is Saturday at 9 am...LOL Mornings are NOT for me. Each person is different. Try different work outs with different instructors or DVDs at different days and times to figure out what is BEST FOR YOU!

kaizen31

I use Fitocracy.com, which gives you points for doing exercise and you 'level up' like in a video game. Competing with my sister and the people there gets me moving!

sisierra

I would say if you can't get out of bed in the morning to workout, then sleep in and work out in the evening! But otherwise I have some quotes for you:

"The difference between someone who is in shape, and someone who is not in shape, is the individual who is in shape works out even when they do not want to."

"It's better to regret something you did do, than something you didn't."

Hope this helps!!

macw1_2000

I HATE working out...I mean REALLY hate it. I feel your pain, trust me.

I have made it a habit to go to the gym at 4:30 pm...for several reasons. 1. It keeps me from having happy hour (they don't serve wine at the gym) and I save a whole boatload of calories by not sitting in the kitchen and preparing a gigantic dinner and drinking wine while I do it 2. I'm not so hungry right after working out - kind of on a exercise high or something 3. If I take the time to exercise it takes time out of time I have to prep dinner so usually have something easy like grilled chicken and salad - if I have too much time on my hands, I am going to make a something intricate and fattening.

New habits take time to develop - if you force yourself to go and do it for a couple of weeks, it will become routine. You just have to get through a couple of weeks of "hatin it." I hate it less now and feel pretty guilty when I don't go. AND dropping weight in a huge way now...

lacroyx

When do you work out?

early. sometimes as early as 2am. I work graveyard 11pm-7am and where I work it's sometimes not busy so I take advantage of going outside for a 30 min fitness break. but usually after I get off work at 8am [/quote]

Do you fight with yourself to get off your butt?

not when it comes to cardio but weight lifting I sometimes skip out on. I find it tedious and boring but I do it. 2x a week. I am working on getting it up to 3x a week. I enjoy jogging alot. I only jog outside though. crappy weather like cold wind, rain, and snow makes it even more enjoyable. :happy:

HOW do you get yourself out there when you are not feeling it?

I sometimes get lazy when it comes to weight lifting. I'll go jog instead. also I listen to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtxbk9NS_Bk&feature=related

What goes on in your mind to motivate you?

youtube link from above. I got the audio on a MP3 that's a part of my workout playlist. gets me going everytime.
also people telling me in the past I was too fat to go jogging

mab33

I know how you feel - I have sooo much trouble getting up early to workout. Usually I force myself to walk to and from work BUT on days like today when it rains I really need that workout.

My solution? If I can't get my *kitten* out of bed (like today, thanks daylight savings), I work out while I watch TV at night. I stretch, do basic cardio like jumping jacks, and lift small 5-10 pound weights. I target my calorie burn every day so this workout is important.

It WILL become a part of your life and you will learn to love it

wildhehr2

I usually workout at 4:30am, because that's when my hubby gets up to go to the gym. I tell myself to do 20 minutes, and then I can go back to sleep (I don't have to actually get up until 7). Most days, I get an afternoon workout in as well, but I don't stress it because I've done something already. I have to wash the bed sheets more often (I generally just strip down and rinse off after my workout, before I go back to bed) but its worth it to me. I love sleeping.

sarge634

yes i am the same way,i just tell myself to get up and do it and not think about it,also i think of how i will feel at the end of the day if i dont workout which is guilt guilt guilt and then i feel as though i let myself down.I just think get up and get it done with!