Motivation to prevent exercise avoidance

susannahsutton1
susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
in Motivation and Support
In cold weather like most of the Northern Hemisphere has at the moment, how do you all motivate yourselves to do exercise? I try to do it with someone else, so that I am letting someone else down as well if I skive, but in the weeks, it will be me by myself e.g. going to the gym. The gym is nice and warm, but the idea of taking my clothes off to get changed is making me shiver in advance!!

Replies

  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
    I register for a race and then have a training schedule. I won't deviate from my schedule because I want to be successful in the race.
  • Juliejustsaying
    Juliejustsaying Posts: 2,332 Member
    For me there is no option. Gotta do it..I don't give myself the room to negotiate.
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
    So you change in the parking lot?
  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
    In cold weather like most of the Northern Hemisphere has at the moment, how do you all motivate yourselves to do exercise? I try to do it with someone else, so that I am letting someone else down as well if I skive, but in the weeks, it will be me by myself e.g. going to the gym. The gym is nice and warm, but the idea of taking my clothes off to get changed is making me shiver in advance!!

    I cannot imagine what you guys in the Northern regions must face. I live in South Carolina and I am FREEZING!! IDK about the gym, but I think that I would try to do 10 minute exercise increments in my home. Maybe you could focus on DVDs like 30 Day Shred. I think that I would have to seriously readjust my workout routine. Good luck! Keep moving!!!!
  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
    So you change in the parking lot?

    Haha, no, but even in the relative warmth of the changing room, taking my gazillion layers off is a shock!
  • runningwild00
    runningwild00 Posts: 109
    Maybe find an exercise you find fun, then the motivation is that you enjoy it. I love running, and run all year round, the cold weather doesn't stop me because I love to run!
    Maybe the problem with your exercise avoidance is you haven't found the exercise you enjoy yet.

    OR just invest in some really WARM clothes and make yourself go! Underarmor makes really warm clothing!
  • neurorat
    neurorat Posts: 73 Member
    For me there is no option. Gotta do it..I don't give myself the room to negotiate.

    Exactly! But I run or spin at home because I would never get to a gym, especially in the cold!!
  • z2bn3sec
    z2bn3sec Posts: 8
    I live in Florida so it's not cold at all (unfortunately) but I have friends up north that work out in the morning and go to bed in their gym clothes because they dont want to change in the morning when it's cold. Just a thought!
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Hot yoga? It's divine in the winter :-)

    I have a hard time motivating too - mainly because it's dark when I get out of work and dark when I wake up. Makes it hard to get motivated to work out either part of the day!

    I want to do a Tough Mudder in October. I'm hoping that training for the race helps sustain my motivation.
  • tbetts23
    tbetts23 Posts: 303 Member
    Winter is definitely not my season! Really don't like the cold and dark and dreariness. I bought myself an elliptical for Xmas. With the $ invested I have to use it.
  • micheleld73
    micheleld73 Posts: 914 Member
    So you change in the parking lot?

    Haha, no, but even in the relative warmth of the changing room, taking my gazillion layers off is a shock!

    Why not make your last layer (first layer depending on how you look at it) what you plan to work out in? I don't think the gym will be very cold and once you start moving your core temp will rise and you'll be glad you divested those outside layers!! :laugh:

    I have a dog that keeps me accountable to the morning walk/run. The only weather that keeps me down is rain!!
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    I joined the gym right next to my work. It motivates me to actually take my lunch break instead of working through it and in the work vs. gym battle, gym ALWAYS wins for which one I'd rather be doing.
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
    The other thing I do is warm up before going out into the cold.....some dynamic stretching gets your blood pumping and if you have something for breakfast with cinnamon or cayenne pepper...those are both "warming" spices.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    For me there is no option. Gotta do it..I don't give myself the room to negotiate.

    Exactly! But I run or spin at home because I would never get to a gym, especially in the cold!!

    Yep-don't make it optional-problem solved. It's just something I do-like going to work, paying bills, cleaning the house, etc. I hate the cold too, especially now that I'm minus 75lbs of insulation, but just go do it.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I hear ya! I hate the gym because I used every excuse in the book not to go. I found that I stick to workouts when I do them at home/outside (just inside for now!!). There's no excuses when you're at home. I've been going strong for 6 months now and I've never gone to the gym regularly for 6 months...or even 1 month.
  • Juliejustsaying
    Juliejustsaying Posts: 2,332 Member
    The other thing I do is warm up before going out into the cold.....some dynamic stretching gets your blood pumping and if you have something for breakfast with cinnamon or cayenne pepper...those are both "warming" spices.

    This is great advice! Why not just get dressed at home, then do the warming stretches etc...warm up the car, and get going...

    edit. I don't ever dress at the gym, I dress at home, go, workout, come home. But I don't like to get naked with strangers...or pee with people either for that matter....just saying
  • verdancyhime
    verdancyhime Posts: 237 Member
    I'm quitting the gym because of this. With the amount of money I spend on it I can afford to buy a few pieces of home equipment and a DVD or two. Plus that's great motivation to help with my messy apartment.

    I don't have a car. When I can work enough shifts to make it worth it, walking to work is great for me. It's not optional, and I feel the timely pressure to do it. Plus, walking is easy. Yesterday I went to the mall and walked around and looked at stuff for an hour. It didn't feel like a workout, but it did help burn calories and keep me more active.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    Cheesecake! LOL.

    Honestly, I'm not a morning person and it's freeeezing here but I've been making it to the gym. I used to say I wouldn't get up early to exercise, but I found that doing that was easier than doing it in the evening because evening time is family time. While I like the way I feel after I exercise, and I like getting healthier, some days I have to remind myself that working out and doing cardio and strength exercises gives me more calories to eat in a day, which means I have more room for things like cheesecake and other things I love. Plus, I try to remember that I'm working out now so that I can eat more when I'm at goal. I don't want to drop 125 lbs and have to live on 1500 calories a day or something.

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