How do you get yourself to the gym

sally_jeffswife

I don't go to the gym, I work out at home. I have kettlebells here and alot of fitness dvds and a stair stepper machine. But sometimes if I am out of town or something will work out at the motel I am staying at etc if they have a fitness center.

doc800

I cut a deal with the girls at the desk for the next two months. If they don't see me and if they check the computer and its a second day off in a row, I have to go deliver them a salad and since I am there I have to work out lol. There is no way I want to buy them a salad lol

TheNewDodge

2011 Hyundai Sonata

melindanew

I walk.

I go first thing, three days a week. If I don't go then, I can't go - I have work and then I have university commitments. So I set the alarm, my husband gets up and walks the dogs - so he's up, the dogs are up, the cats are up, so I guess I'm up, too. I lay out my gym clothes, pack my food and my gym bag the night before, so when I get up on goes the heartrate monitor, the gym clothes, the gym shoes, then I grab my lunch out of the fridge and I'm out the door and at the gym when the door opens at 6am.

As for motivation, I have a pretty severe congenital back problem, so some mornings I have to make myself decide if my back is genuinely unable to cope or if I'm being a crybaby. (I'm always in pain, so it's more about where is the pain located and can I actually walk well enough.) If I skip - some days I have to - I go the next day, no excuses. Some days I go and skip the bits my back can't handle, but I do that the next time.

If I don't go my back gets worse. If I don't finish losing the weight, the surgery will be worse or possibly my surgeon won't agree to do it when the time comes.

But the best motivation of all is my loser ex-husband weighs 350lbs and is unemployed. I'll see him for the first time in 10 years this September at my son's graduation. Spite and hatred get me out the door, some days.

bumblebums

The first thing I do after waking up is put my exercise clothes on. It usually does the trick. You could even try setting them out at night so they are right there in front of you when you wake up.

It took me a while to figure out that I can only be consistent about exercise when I do it in the morning. In the afternoons and evenings I am too hungry, too tired, and in general have too many excuses ready. I also prefer to exercise on an empty stomach, so mornings are better for me. YMMV.

cwolfman13

It helps that I love lifting weights...but really, it was a matter of making it a habit. I missed all of last week due to some unforeseen circumstances and it really gnawed at me.

JTick

I pack my gym bag the night before and set it out...I feel like if other people see that I plan to go the gym, I'd better go! I feel more accountable if someone else knows I'm going. Once I'm there, it's pretty easy to get a full workout in...I get embarrassed if I don't do a full workout when other people are "watching", even if they aren't actually paying attention!

bumblebums

Posted before I read the rest of the thread, and I am so glad I read it! This is my favorite kind of thread, "things that work". Nice to see recurring themes!

A couple more things that worked for me: I don't make a schedule for my entire week, the way some people do. I just get myself to the gym, and I decide there what I am going to do. I try not to lift two days back-to-back or run two days in a row, and if I feel like having an easier day, I'll just use the stationary bike or the elliptical. Once I get there, I know I'll do something, but I do not like being tied to a rigid plan.

Also, I don't like showering twice in one day unless it's 100F outside--it seems wasteful. Working out in the morning, then showering--that's my routine. Even on rest days I try to take an extra long walk with the dog before showering.

Flixie00

I have a locker at my gym for toiletries and shoes, plus the gym launder my kit for me. My gym is 5 mins from my office, and its second nature for me to hit the gym on the way home. I also have a number of fitness targets which help keep me going :-)

cindybowcut

Some days I have to have a talking to myself about going. Like this morning, I told myself I would go after work. However I know that I wouldn't because I have other obligations after work. So I made myself get up and go. The other thing that makes it easy for me is that I go with my daughter. It is easier to go if you have somebody hounding you about going. I am an emotional eater, when I feel like I want to eat my feelings for the day, I go to the gym instead and take it out on something there.

vorgas

Ive never regretted going to the gym and working out.
Ive almost always regretted not going.
When I dont want to go I tap into the lack of regret.

lovescontrary

There are things in life that are negotiable and things that are not. Going to work, feeding the pets or kids, etc are not negotiable. You need to move exercise into the not negotiable category and just do it. If you have to decide each day, and/or convince yourself each day, you will struggle and probably fail. Decide once, and then just do it.

thisisme13

I walk across the hall from my bedroom to my workout room.

When I was going to the gym I would go before work or after work. I would have my workout bag in the car and have a snack and water ready so there were no excuses not to go.

If I really am not in the mood to workout I make myself a deal... if after 10 mins I still don't want to workout I will stop. Sometimes I do... sometimes I have kept going for more than 60 mins.

AmyMgetsfit

I have a pretty nice home gym in my basement. If I didn't have that, I know I wouldn't be as successful as I am with one. I hated getting up and going to the gym before we put in our own. Now that I live way out in the middle of nowhere and the closest decent gym would be about 25 miles away, I wouldn't be doing anything but dvd's in the winter. Once I walk down the basement stairs, I am ready to get started. If I want or need to break it up a bit during the day, I can.

chymerra

i workout in my basement so it's easy for me to just roll out of bed and workout. it's also a habit for me so i have to workout otherwise my day is off.

redragtop05

I don't allow myself to think about it because if I did I would come up with a thousand reasons not to go....I'm too tired, I'm so comfy in my bed, I worked hard yesterday and one day off is not a big deal........I just get up and go before I have a chance to talk myself out of it.

staciedee10

Take my workout clothes to work with me & go to gym directly after. If I go home first, I sometimes talk myself out of going to the gym.

ameliaannakin

I either go first thing in a morning before I've had the time to talk myself out of it or on the way home from work so I don't get home and stop myself from going... I also always thin about how much better I will feel after going. As much as I can't be bothered, I always feel great after I've been and its well worth it!

Ax

hsnider29

I found exercises that I look forward to doing. Since I have done that, I rarely have to find motivation to actually go to the gym.

ThisGirl2013

I think about being able to log it in to my exercise here
I think about what I pay - not only for my membership, but investing in the way I feel and look.
Usually I look forward to going to the gym, though...