How do you motivate yourself to exercise?

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  • stacy_1971
    stacy_1971 Posts: 104 Member
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    I don't motivate myself. I just do. There is power in taking action instead of waiting for a feeling of motivation.
    "Do or do not. There is no try". Yoda

    ^^ I like this advice. How bad can Yoda advice be?
  • stacy_1971
    stacy_1971 Posts: 104 Member
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    Thank you everyone for replying with your suggestions and describing what has worked for you. You are all awesome. :flowerforyou:
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    Let's think outside the box. Do you like to ice skate or square dance?

    What if you did your usual walking with a weighted vest; thereby getting more bang for your exercise buck, so to speak ... what about Zumba? What about Aqua Zumba, maybe in a place with a pool? Maybe your gym-that-doesn't-have-a-pool doesn't suit your needs and you need to look elsewhere?

    Did you ever box? Do martial arts?
  • Luthien007
    Luthien007 Posts: 281 Member
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    I walk with leslie sansone DVDs and bought a walking guide book for our local area and we walk every chance we get.
    A fitbit motivates me to challenge myself. Then I got a HRM and it was motivating to see how many calories I was burning. My husband does all this with me. He has a family history of heart problems so we like to monitor his heart with his HRM. He's not overweight but it is about health.

    Losing weight is predominantly about diet and as I lost weight I started to move more and try different things. I try to burn enough calories each day to cover one meal. The beginning is the hardest.
  • VeganZombie13
    VeganZombie13 Posts: 297
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    I look at it as a job, something that I have to do..
    There's no thinking about it, I just do it..
    if I don't workout I feel like a total bum lmao...
  • alison2429
    alison2429 Posts: 236 Member
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    I have recently begun to realise that it's okay to say that I don't like running (I've always said that I hate the gym!). BUT I DO love the feeling that I get when I have exercised and that is what I cling to. I tell people that I don't like running but I do like the fact that I can have a few glasses of wine as I exercise it off, I feel great when I've done a run and I absolutely LOVE telling people that I am a runner!! I hope that makes sense and that you find something that motivates you................x
  • bamadwl
    bamadwl Posts: 111 Member
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    I have a large mirror over the vanity directly across from the shower in my bathroom. That's all the motivation I need.
  • chubbygirl253
    chubbygirl253 Posts: 1,309 Member
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    have you tried the elliptical for your back? I have lower back problems from a workplace injury 18 months ago. I throw out my back every now and then doing almost nothing. The last time was in August I bent over the wrong way to pick up a rubberband off the floor and was in excrutiating pain for the next 5 days. I couldn't walk upright so I was hunched over like I was a hundred years old. It was painful to walk even a few steps but yet I could do the elliptical for an hour with no problem. It forces you to keep good posture. And I was able to do water aerobics. Have you tried calling a high school near you that has a pool and ask if they have evening water aerobics classes? Most of the larger school districts around here have at least one hs with a pool. The one closest to me has it 4 nights a week for around $2.50 or $3 a session and they usually have something like a punchcard deal that makes it cheaper and senior/student discounting. Its worth a try if you don't wanna switch gyms. Also if switching gyms is a viable option then I would recommend the YMCA. Also, have you tried yoga? It is helping my back a lot!
  • TommiEgan
    TommiEgan Posts: 256 Member
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    Biting the bullet with exercise is the fastest way to give up. If you have to force yourself you will be less inclined to be motivated. Just find an exercise you enjoy, and slowly work at it. Maybe fit your hobbies into your exercise and that way you can make it suited for you and more enjoyable.

    Hope this helps!
  • Smelerz
    Smelerz Posts: 115 Member
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    I found a training and other gym members that I became friends with that I didnt see anywhere else but the gym. If I want to hang out with them I have to get my butt there. Once I'm there we always have fun in group classes. I turned it into a social time which is what I was lacking.
  • IzzyBooNZ1
    IzzyBooNZ1 Posts: 1,289 Member
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    The rolls of fat still emerging from my jeans and my bra straps motivate me. And of course BACK FAT!!! :mad:

    yep same ! lol
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Let's think outside the box. Do you like to ice skate or square dance?

    Did you seriously just recommend ice skating to someone wth disc problems. :noway:

    That sounds like a great way to end up in a wheelchair.
  • rodneyderrick
    rodneyderrick Posts: 483 Member
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    I wish I could answer this question. I breathe. I eat. I exercise. It's who I am.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Find a form of exercise you enjoy. I can guarantee you I can find a form of exercise that would appeal to you in that it appeals to the tactile/muscular sensory inputs that drive you to pursue whatever other hobbies you enjoy. I did it for myself, I did it for others. That gets you started. But what keeps it going is when you reach your first real fitness milestone. When you find yourself able to do something that you never could before because of what exercise has done for your body. Once you reach that point, it's not enough anymore. You'll want more.
  • Kris10sm1
    Kris10sm1 Posts: 1 Member
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    Every night before I go to bed I check out the Health & Fitness column of Pinterest. It helps me to remember why I'm working out the next morning. I also have a motivational background on my phone for me to see when I turn my alarm off in the morning.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I motivate myself to exercise by looking in the mirror. :bigsmile: When I started, the things I didn't like seeing were what motivated me to do something about it. Now that I've dropped 26lbs and many inches, I like what I'm seeing in the mirror, and it motivates me to keep going.

    Now it's habit, it's part of my life. Today marks my 450th straight day of logging into MFP and tracking my food & exercise. I get up early to get my workouts done - have to be up before the family since I workout at home, and once the household is up and moving, workouts get set aside and don't happen. It was tough at first, but the feeling of regret in the afternoon over a missed morning workout is worse than the feeling of getting up and kicking some butt at 5:30am, and then rockin' the rest of my day. :drinker:

    There's so much out there - weights, walking, running, intervals, HIIT, cycling, gym classes, spinning, zumba, kickboxing, yoga, pilates - there has to be something out there that you might enjoy to some extent, and then start loving when you start seeing great results. And if/when you get bored, try something new, challenge yourself to push harder, reach for new goals, do something you didn't think you could do (that would be me with running - always hated it, but picked it up last January and I'm still running and ENJOYING it <most of the time anyway :tongue>).
  • mitsi94
    mitsi94 Posts: 64
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    What does motivate you? Maybe it's money, or that feeling that you can do something your friend, sister, or spouse can't do? I get a lot of exercise, but don't go to a gym to do it. I ride my bicycle to work and back, and to most places around my town, so I don't have to pay $4 a gallon for gas in my car. I have always loved riding my bicycle, but the more money I am saving, the more it makes me ride the bike more places instead of drive. And my friends/family/spouse are constantly commenting that they don't know how I can ride so many miles each week because they couldn't do it. I'm the fat one, and I can do it but they can't. I have to say, that secretly makes me feel pretty damn good!

    Also, consider maybe some sort of team sport might be up your alley? In the summer, I play on a couple of different adult softball teams. So 2-3 days a week, I am also outdoors on a field running my butt off for a couple of hours at a time. (in addition to riding my bike to work) I absolutely love playing softball, and wouldn't give it up for anything. I enjoy being part of the team and seeing all my softball friends, and the competition with the other team. Also, if a whole team is there waiting for you to show up, you can't really skip out on them or they might not be able to play! So this motivates me to not miss my softball "work out".

    So, I get my workouts in, but not in a traditional go to the gym kind of way. I don't like the gym much either. I'd rather be outdoors.
  • songbirdtree
    songbirdtree Posts: 79
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    two words: hot yoga <3
  • start121
    start121 Posts: 38 Member
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    I guess, for me, the first thing I'd ask is what exactly is it about exercise you hate so much? Is it more that you hate the pain you experience when you exercise at the gym? If you didn't have those issues, would you actually like to exercise? The key to exercise is to find something you like. The other thing to remember is the recommendations of 30mins of moderate activity 5 times a week, doesn't have to be done in 1 sitting. you could break it into 3 10mins sessions throughout the day, or 6 5mins sessions. And again, these don't have to be formal gym based things. some research would show that those who introduce daily activities, such as parking further away from where you need to go (so as to walk further), taking the stairs etc. are more likely to be maintained over a prolonged period of time. Another thing to remember is to start small. Don't beat yourself up because you don't want to just jump into 4 training sessions a week at the gym. Set yourself a goal each week that fits within your schedule and limitations - like, this week I will walk for 5mins 5 days this week. Then take it from there. The fact that you are looking for ways to try to motivate yourself is already a clear indication that you will find a way to work something into you lifestyle.

    This is how I started, and now I currently train around 5-8hrs a week. Start small... finish big! :-) Good luck.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    One of my friends on here posted this quote the other day. It makes total sense:

    "Being overweight is hard. Exercising is hard. PICK YOUR HARD"

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