How do you motivate yourself to workout?

bringingsexyback2007
bringingsexyback2007 Posts: 79 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Once I finish working out I feel great and am so glad I did, but I find it difficult to motivate myself to workout to begin with. I'm curious to know what everyone does to motivate themselves.
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Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,021 Member
    It's a personal thing. You either want to work out, or you don't. Those that really do, will. Those that really don't won't.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
    Do you eat? Do you sleep? Do you go to the bathroom?

    Make working out a habit. Even if you're dead tired just go show up at the gym and sit there, then you're bound to do some sort of workout. Sometimes you'll get more energy as you go along and finish a good workout(even when you're dead tired at first).

    Motivation? you can't stay motivated for years , decades. Just have to make it routine.
  • sami_83
    sami_83 Posts: 161
    I'm not motivated. I just do it because I've planned to do it.

    That being said, it's much easier to WANT to do it if it's something you genuinely enjoy.
    So find something you love/tolerate/don't despise and get cracking.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    I feel badass. What greater reason do I need? Oh, it'll also enhance my quality of life as I age - that's cool, too. Finally, I'll look sexy naked as well.
  • moya_rargh
    moya_rargh Posts: 1,473 Member
    People hate my guts for the way that I look. I hate my guts for the way that I look.

    One goal: For the man that they hate to get in better shape than the men that they love. Their move next.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    working out is fun, i've never had a problem doing that.

    find something you like doing and you wont have to be motivated to do it, if anything you'll have to work hard to keep yourself from overdoing it
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    working out is fun, i've never had a problem doing that.

    find something you like doing and you wont have to be motivated to do it, if anything you'll have to work hard to keep yourself from overdoing it

    Yep!
  • moya_rargh
    moya_rargh Posts: 1,473 Member
    working out is fun, i've never had a problem doing that.

    find something you like doing and you wont have to be motivated to do it, if anything you'll have to work hard to keep yourself from overdoing it

    Rest days are my enemy!
  • in4nomz
    in4nomz Posts: 230
    It's a personal thing. You either want to work out, or you don't. Those that really do, will. Those that really don't won't.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    ^This. If you want it you want it, if you don't you don't. Get in the mindset that you want it!!
  • Greywalk
    Greywalk Posts: 193 Member
    GO...no motivation...just go. Motivation is for during the really difficult...workouts are required so I go.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    i know that sometimes i don't want to work out right away, but i think about the fact that about ten minutes in, i'll be feeling great.

    however, if i don't work out, i'll feel guilty all day.
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
    working out is fun, i've never had a problem doing that.

    find something you like doing and you wont have to be motivated to do it, if anything you'll have to work hard to keep yourself from overdoing it

    Rest days are my enemy!

    Mine too. I hate them.

    For me once I get into the habit of going to the gym every day (which really takes about a week to a week and a half) I get to the point where I don't want to miss and if I do I get crabby. The key to my keeping consistent is getting up EARLY to hit the gym that way if things happen during the day there's no excuse. I got my gym in and there's no concern that I'm going to miss.

    Also I am finding that having goals in place will help with the motivation. I'm going to start training for a Duathlon that's happening mid-May of this year. That right there will force me to exercise. Then I have another race the beginning of June - a 7.2 mile running race. I'm thinking of doing a half marathon in October so I'll have to train for that which means I will have to exercise daily. I've never been one to train for events (I did my first half in 2009 and hated training for it) but since I have the tendency to become complacent these goals will keep me from getting that way and keep my fitness goals in check.
  • Iron_Duchess
    Iron_Duchess Posts: 429 Member
    I don’t; I just go. If I wait to be motivated, I will never do it. Life and people tend to get in the way.
  • TravelinChiGal
    TravelinChiGal Posts: 216 Member
    By telling myself that the reason I am in this situation to begin is all on me, and getting myself out of it is all on me. No one is going to do it for me...
  • pdank311
    pdank311 Posts: 137 Member
    Once I finish working out I feel great and am so glad I did, but I find it difficult to motivate myself to workout to begin with. I'm curious to know what everyone does to motivate themselves.

    Use this as your motivation. How you feel after. It's easy to let thoughts of not wanting to do it cloud your mind up until the very minute you start the work out. Stop thinking and do your first set (or press play on the dvd). Chances are you will finish your routine.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    working out is fun, i've never had a problem doing that.

    find something you like doing and you wont have to be motivated to do it, if anything you'll have to work hard to keep yourself from overdoing it

    Yep!
    x2

    I hate cardio so try and motivate me to get on a treadmill...I love lifting I can't wait till after work to get it done.
  • DaddyOtho
    DaddyOtho Posts: 3 Member
    Greywalk
    GO...no motivation...just go. Motivation is for during the really difficult...workouts are required so I go.

    Right on man...just showing up is 90% of it.
  • nmncare
    nmncare Posts: 168 Member
    I set myself small goals. This month, I want to run 100 miles. I'm a slow runner, and it takes more time than most... But I am also extremely hard on myself. Knowing I set that goal.. pushes me to reach it. I put on a good movie and just run on the treadmill until the end. Works every time :)

    Another motivator? Thinking about the looks on people's faces after you've lost weight. I'm young (23.. I see you're around my age), and very social, and I have A LOT of good friends back in London that I haven't seen in months. I want everyone's mouths to drop when I move back home and everyone sees how well I took care of myself in America. :)

    But nothing will happen until something finally clicks in your head. I had to force this click.. and it was a lot of forcing at first. Now, I can't wait until the end of the day when I get to hop on the treadmill. As someone else said, make it a priority and a habit (routine).

    You can do it!! You just have to push yourself to :)
  • emrogers
    emrogers Posts: 328 Member
    For me it's that I love how I look and feel when I'm working out, training for a race and eating clean. I have a 2 year old that I love to spend time with and as a working mom, I have to do it at 6 a.m. in the morning and during my lunch hour (2/3X a week I do 2 a days). If I do not get my a** up and get it done I take away from him. Not cool.

    Also, I'm competitive and I set mini goals. I gave birth the 1st time at 17 and finished school AND college!!!!! HA! Why would I let exercising intimidate me and fail now?????? Excuses for me are embarrassing. Find it within yourself to just DO IT!!!!!!!!

    GOOD LUCK!!!
    Elce
  • SamanthaAnnM
    SamanthaAnnM Posts: 143 Member
    I have the same issue - I'm happy to be working out once I get there, feel great about myself afterwards but oh my gosh if it isn't the hardest thing to just leave the house and go!!! A few things that I do:

    - Schedule it into my day in advance
    - Look at motivating images on pinterest and tumblr
    - Put on my workout clothes even if I am telling myself I am not going to go
    - Tell my boyfriend and my family and even sometimes post on my social media accounts that I am going to the gym, for accountability
    - Wear cute workout clothing
  • thomakg
    thomakg Posts: 69 Member
    What do you do when you are really sore? Sometimes my arthritis just makes me want to curl up in bed with a heavy dose of advil.

    :(
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    maybe you need to find a different workout. working out doesn't have to mean droning away on some cardio machine or doing some DVD or jumping around like some kind of jack *kitten* in some weird, latest and greatest exercise fad class.

    Find something you enjoy doing...that way exercise can just become a part of you and what you do rather than some extra chore to be loathed. Sure, there will be days where you still don't feel like it...just like there are days that I just don't feel like going to work...but it just becomes a part of you and what you do so you carry on and for the most part you enjoy it.

    In the early days I was miserable because I thought i was supposed to be droning away for hours and hours on some elliptical machine or had to join some frackin' weird *kitten* class or something...then I discovered I was just fine going for walks, riding my bike around, hiking, doing some swimming here and there, fitting in the occasional run, lifting weights, etc.

    Do what you enjoy doing...it doesn't have to be and shouldn't be a chore.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    What do you do when you are really sore? Sometimes my arthritis just makes me want to curl up in bed with a heavy dose of advil.

    :(

    take a rest day...

    another thing people fail to realize...in addition to not needing to workout for hours and hours and hours...you also don't have to workout every single day and/or you can days of varying intensity. I have days where all I do is go for a 30 minute walk in the park next to my office...and then I have days where I'm in the gym lifting weights and getting it on...and days when I'm just out for a nice joy ride on my bike...and days when I'm really trying to grind out some miles.

    It doesn't have to be balls to the wall every single day for hours on end.
  • nightflightdan
    nightflightdan Posts: 7
    I've tried several times in the past to get "into" the gym thing using "motivation"/"will power" but it never worked. If your will was to go to the gym you'd go so calling in extra will power just results in doing the opposite.
    I've made it a part of my routine, mon/weds/fri straight after work I come home get changed and go to the gym. No if's, no but's, no sitting down to check facebook. Once I'm there, I find it pretty easy to push myself.
  • jlclabo
    jlclabo Posts: 588 Member
    wake up, open my eyes, and smile because i know its time to lift some heavy ****.....
  • mank32
    mank32 Posts: 1,323 Member
    if i don't work out regularly i get The Joy of Debilitating Pain, courtesy of fibromyalgia. so i'm pretty motivated to work out.
  • bringingsexyback2007
    bringingsexyback2007 Posts: 79 Member
    Thanks everyone! You all had really great advice!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    It's a personal thing. You either want to work out, or you don't. Those that really do, will. Those that really don't won't.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    this.

    Even when I don't want to- I get off my butt and do it. I'm happy that I do. But sometimes you jsut gotta get up and do it- and if you want to - it'll happen.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    Motivation doesn't really come into it. However, if I come home after work and before the gym, the first thing I'll do is change into my gym clothes so when it's time to go I can just go. Exercising, no problem, changing and leaving for the gym after my wife and daughter are in bed was a little difficult, but now that I'll change when I get home it's easier. Generally I just try to go on my way home. If I'm going for a run the only motivation I need is to mentally plan out my running route and then I'm gone...
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    My motivation comes from enjoying doing it. I lift weights, and I look forward to going to the gym to do this thing that I like.

    Definitely the best motivator is wanting to do it because you enjoy it. So the trick is to find something you enjoy doing.

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