No motivation to go to the gym

qpmomma1
qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
in Getting Started
This past week I feel I have been doing good with my diet. My daughter's birthday was Wednesday so I did have some pizza and cake. However, I did stay under my calorie goal.

My problem is the gym. I live in the country and the gym is 30 min. away from me in town. I leave for work at 6:00am and I get home at 6:00pm. Then my daughter goes to bed at 7:00pm. I try to go after she's in bed so I don't lose any time with her. But once I get home I find it hard to leave to go to the gym. I thought about going before work, but I would have to go into town, come back, and go back again for work.

What does everyone else do? I guess I just need to suck it up and go, lol.
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Replies

  • NiikouruDesu
    NiikouruDesu Posts: 100
    Get exercise DVDs to do at home, or go flr a jog in your lunchbreak. Find an exercise that suits you.
  • TheBadToe
    TheBadToe Posts: 246 Member
    I keep a backpack in my truck with running shoes, clothes and a shower kit. That way I can hit the gym whenever I am out.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    Motivation comes and goes. I have to make myself go into the gym some days. But, after 20 months of "making myself" - it has become a habit. The great thing? After 7 - 10 minutes, I'm always glad I went.
  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
    If you can't make yourself go then don't. You have to want to do something in order to do it. Find something that could do that is closer to home. As someone else said get some exercise DVDs, run, swim, etc. You don't have to go to the gym to get fit. :)
  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
    The weather is getting nice, maybe I'm go running. Thanks for the responses!
  • sentaruu
    sentaruu Posts: 2,206 Member
    yeah, my gym is a half hour away and after a day of work I really don't feel like driving to go work out somewhere. so, I'm in the process of creating my own gym at home. w/ some free weights, a bench, a treadmill and some open floor space. I find I am more willing to workout if I don't have to travel to do it.
  • Jaminjo2
    Jaminjo2 Posts: 31 Member
    You don't need a gym. I find stuff on youtube that I can do at home. It's always interesting to learn new stuff and I can change the routine at anytime. I can combine different workouts for my capabilities. I love it.
  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
    I thought about getting some weights as well. I want to do more than just cardio. I've been looking up exercises to do at home as well for strength.
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
    Motivation comes and goes. I have to make myself go into the gym some days. But, after 20 months of "making myself" - it has become a habit. The great thing? After 7 - 10 minutes, I'm always glad I went.

    Yep, this ^^^ You have to make it a habit. Maybe like others have said find something to do at home?
  • sentaruu
    sentaruu Posts: 2,206 Member
    I thought about getting some weights as well. I want to do more than just cardio. I've been looking up exercises to do at home as well for strength.

    even calisthenics are great. use your own body weight and build strength at home.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    My mother worked a night shift factory job and what she did was to walk around the basement swinging free weights and do overheads presses. She did this for 10 minutes every night, and over the course of a year built up to 30 minutes every night with weights that were 3x her starting weights. She also got to the point that she could do her own circuit of squats and lunges with weights.

    You can pick up a cheap set of weights at any Walmart, Target, on-line.

    I go to the gym daily because I have the time, but if I didn't, I'd do what she did.
  • rainydays5
    rainydays5 Posts: 217 Member
    I am mother of 5 kids and a full time student. I work out whenever I have the time during the day at home. I recently got an upright bike and have been biking in the evenings after the little ones go to bed. I also have amazon prime and there are alot of workout video's on there for free...Jillian Michaels are my favorite. If I was to do the gym thing it would be 30 minutes away from me too. There is absolutely no way I would go consistently! Do whatever works best for you.
  • ofccat
    ofccat Posts: 284 Member
    Workout at home. I do gym and home. There are great programs as short as 30 minutes or longer. From cardio to strength and in between. Also do you have cable? On demand usually has a fitness channel where they have some workouts you can do also. You can use resistance bands or weights for strength also.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You don't have to go to a gym to exercise. Gyms are nice and convenient in that they have a lot of equipment that most people could not keep in their homes due to space and cost...but they aren't necessary. I exercised for years without ever setting foot in a gym.

    You don't need a treadmill to go run...just hit the trail. You don't need a stationary bike to ride...ride a real bike outside and enjoy nature. You don't need a stair stepper...just go hiking. If you want to do resistance work, do body weight stuff and maybe get some resistance bands or something. You Are Your Own Gym is great if you're into bodyweight training.
  • 281Danielle
    281Danielle Posts: 113
    Fitnessblender.com, I personally love them and use their workouts daily it is free unless you want a plan but even those are cheap. I have a 2 and 3 year old and can never go to the gym so I rely on things I can do at home. I swear I'm not trying to sound like a commercial but I seriously love Fitnessblender lol.
  • dwood1231
    dwood1231 Posts: 275 Member
    I dont have a gym membership, I have a treadmill at home, allthough I would rather use the streets and trails when it warms up, and for most basic exercise there is no equipment needed. Push ups, sit ups, squat thrust etc only take a section of floor. Save yourself the cost and travel of the gym...
  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
    My issue is the winter. That's when I got the membership. With all the snow and ice, I didn't want to go outside and walk/run in that. I do have a staircase, so maybe run up and down them too? lol
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    My motivation definitely comes and goes, but once something becomes routine it makes it much Easier. I had similar issues with fitting gym time into my day, but after you make it a part of daily life it's no longer a big deal. Try keeping a gym bag in your car at all times, with bottled water clothes towel and such. Then try fitting it in at different times, and see which works best for you. Personally, I like going after work , after I've had dinner with my family. If you still can't fit it in your daily routine after trying out several times, then maybe go buy some DVDs and dumbbells, and then use them daily and go to the gym on the weekends.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    No motivation will usually mean no change to physique. While you don't need exercise to lose weight, you do need it to form a better physique and condition the muscle.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    All good advice and no need to repeat it - save your money on the gym membership for now and do what you can at home. There are lots of good videos and online workout programs. I can relate to the snow and ice issue - our hockey arena has a walking/running track around it so I stop there in the mornings to do a walk before work (it's something to get me started in the day and I can go straight to work and change afterwards). 8 laps around the hockey rink is a mile 5 laps is a km.
  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
    Thank you all for your advice! Since the weather is nice I think I am going to walk/run outside. I'm also going to check out some workout videos. Knowing I can do this at home I now feel motivated! :)
  • jenbob555
    jenbob555 Posts: 36 Member
    I agree with all of the above. There's gyms really close to me but I find that whenever I sign up I go a couple times and then it's just too hard to leave the house. I've been doing Jillian Michael's workout videos and now my husband is getting into lifting, so we're buying a bunch of lifting equipment. It's kind of expensive, but not if you figure how much we'd be paying for a year plus of gym membership and driving.
  • NaturallyandProperly
    NaturallyandProperly Posts: 138 Member
    Are you closer to the gym when at work? Maybe eat at your desk and get a workout in a lunch. That's been working great for me. All of the other suggestions are great too. Just 30 minutes - an hour a day, even break it up, half an hour at lunch. good luck!
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    I thought about getting some weights as well. I want to do more than just cardio. I've been looking up exercises to do at home as well for strength.

    My gym's in the garage (well my dad's garage actually). Not that expensive to set up and if your doing a progressive programme, you can 'buy as you go'
  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
    My aunt has the C25K running app. It's free so I downloaded it and tried it out. I ran outside and took my dog. I got through half before I felt like I was dying! So now I'm tired and my pup is tired (double yay!). I think I am going to continue to run outside. I did check out the "You are your own gym" videos. I think I am going to do those too. I now have motivation! Thank you all for your hlep! :)
  • LosingItForGood13
    LosingItForGood13 Posts: 182 Member
    Jillian Michaels dvds or the Wii when I need a break from the boring gym lol
  • amy8400
    amy8400 Posts: 478 Member
    My husband has a similar challenge--he commutes 2 hours to work every day and then when he gets home...the gym is another 30 minute drive. He says it's really hard to exercise (especially with the winter we've had in Michigan) but like everyone here has shared...there are so many ways to get in your work outs. Whether it's walking outside, doing your stairs, weights, resistance bands, videos, etc, you can discover ways to work out right at home. Be creative and have fun.
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
    It would be a huge problem for me if I had to go to a gym 30 minutes away. My friend lives in a rural area and had a similar commute to her gym. It was hard for her to go, because of the commute, and she also worked 45 minutes away in another direction. I would say its definitely the commute that is hard for you.

    My gym is 10-15 minutes away ( there is one down the street but its expensive ) but I really do not pay much for it. It can be stressful for me to drive the 10 minute drive to the gym. Its helpful when there is a gym close to you.

    You could spend longer at the gym and only go a few times a week. if you have Sat and Sunday free, you can go then. Fitness DVDs seem to be a good alternative as well'; and you can do this when your daughter goes to bed. This might be expenisive but you can always get work out machines if you have someone to help you put the pieces together. I have seen affordable bikes and ellipticals at Wal Mart and Amazon. If you have the space of course.

    If you have parks and some rural areas near where I live DO have parks, you can take a walk or run there.
  • lsorci919
    lsorci919 Posts: 772 Member
    I thought about getting some weights as well. I want to do more than just cardio. I've been looking up exercises to do at home as well for strength.

    Great idea.. I haven't stepped foot in a gym in quite some time now. Being a mom can make the gym inconvenient. I've lost over 70 lbs working out at home. I have been building a home gym slowly and it works wonderfully. If your are thinking of getting some weights I suggest looking on amazon. They have a few pretty cheap weight sets. they're not the highest of quality but it does the job. I find having a home gym keeps me motivated to workout anyway. I have no excuses not to. LOL
  • Kisame29
    Kisame29 Posts: 10,379 Member
    If you're willing to do exercise at home, I'd definitely recommend getting some fitness videos. I watch Jillian Michaels videos- a lot of her workouts are fairly short but very intense, plus you typically only need hand weights and only a little space to move around.

    Alternatively, you can buy some exercise equipment for home. I got a stationary bike off Amazon for around $150 and it's been great! Depending on how much you spend on a gym membership and what you do there, it may even be more cost effective to just have the equipment at home.

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