How do you get the motivation to exercise?

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Replies

  • FatOldManMN
    FatOldManMN Posts: 1,116 Member
    Look in the mirror..
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I can understand where you're coming from. I have a very hard time sometimes making myself work out when I'm working and in school, but I just love the way I feel when I'm done working out and I'm walking around high on endorphins. It's my stress relief
  • Sarahsteve7kids
    Sarahsteve7kids Posts: 146 Member
    For me I love the walks I take with my husband and I also enjoy how my muscles feel after using weights! Don't sweat it, any movement is OK! Most of us became fat by over eating, not under exercising!
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    I need some advice. When it comes to my eating I'm in general pretty good. I do binge more than I'd like but I've cut back on that a lot and I plan on tracking my food more on MFP and making better choices. Today I had watermelon instead of the chips I wanted. Baby steps right?

    Anyway, how do you get the motivation to exercise? I know its' a dumb question and I just need to do it but I can't seem to. I work two jobs and more often than not I work 12 days around 5 days a week, so when I get home, the LAST thing I want to do is exercise. I know I'd feel much better and probably kick up my weight loss more if I did do it. My goal this year was to run a 5k this summer and I don't know if that's happening.

    I just don't have the motivation right now or any day, how do I change this? Any advice at all is appreciated. I just need something to get my *kitten* moving.

    My main motivator for exercising is pain relief; my secondary motivator is stress relief. Both are why my fitness goal began because I was searching for drug free alternatives. Find one good reason to exercise. It can be something simple like getting a bit of fresh air or meeting other folks or something or just the way it makes you feel afterwards. At any rate, exercise is for fitness not weight loss so just put one step in front of the other and get moving!
  • angiez93
    angiez93 Posts: 63
    - remembering how amazing I always feel afterwards
    - my dogs, they need exercise too, and my responsibility for them is motivating
    - looking at self in mirror naked
    - remembering how guilty I always feel when I don't workout
    - asking your MFP friends to ride your *kitten* if you don't exercise regularly :)

    Good luck!!
  • Michaelg235
    Michaelg235 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I look at old images of myself and girls that said "AHHAHAHA never in a million years"

    I use the people that made me feel like there was nothing to look forward to in my life ..


    Use what people said for fuel

    that was my motivation
  • megaen29
    megaen29 Posts: 95 Member
    It bothers me when people say you don't need to exercise to lose weight. Why are you trying to lose weight? To get healthy most likely. Just eating better is not going to make a very big dent in that. Exercise has given me more energy and I feel a thousand times better than I use to. It will reduce the risk of so many diseases etc.

    Now to your question. You need to find something that you look forward to doing every day. For me its running. I love running. I know for many people, running is not enjoyable so stay away from it unless you feel ambitious that day. Do you like to swim, walk, bike etc? Figure out what you like to do and the motivation will come much more easily.
  • Sarahsteve7kids
    Sarahsteve7kids Posts: 146 Member
    It bothers me when people say you don't need to exercise to lose weight. Why are you trying to lose weight? To get healthy most likely. Just eating better is not going to make a very big dent in that. Exercise has given me more energy and I feel a thousand times better than I use to. It will reduce the risk of so many diseases etc.

    Now to your question. You need to find something that you look forward to doing every day. For me its running. I love running. I know for many people, running is not enjoyable so stay away from it unless you feel ambitious that day. Do you like to swim, walk, bike etc? Figure out what you like to do and the motivation will come much more easily.

    Being physically active IS important but most of us gain weight from over eating!!! I would rather see someone spend the needed time adjusting their diet then worry about an hour of exercise per day,
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
    You have to have goals that go beyond the grind of your day to day jobs. They shouldn't even matter, this goes beyond all that.

    You have to be motivated.

    You have to want it for yourself.

    If you can't find that somewhere within you, you're going to give up. Or you'll quit before you even start.

    Find your drive to achieve something beyond the here and now.
  • Fsunami
    Fsunami Posts: 241 Member
    I was battling this until recently.

    I decided that since this was a lifestyle change so that I could feel better & be able to do more, I had to embrace all of it - not just the parts that suit me well (like logging).

    From most of the reading Ive done and advice I'm getting, it takes about 3 weeks for you to break an old habit & replace it with a new one.

    I'm about 6 weeks in & have been able to modify my calorie intake so that its consistently where I want it to be (or close)

    I decided late this week to apply the same logic to exercise. I figure if I can push myself for the next three weeks (whether I want to or not), the desire to do it will be ingrained soon. Plus it has too many other benefits for me to avoid what is essentially a free way to improve the quality of my life, which is my ultimate goad.

    Exercise and eating right are a thing you DO, not a definition of who you ARE. Take any emotion out of it and make it a part of your routine, like brushing your teeth.
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    Working can be a tough obstacle to get around when it comes to exercising. My advice is fairly simple, because if have a very busy girlfriend that does it, and she has been very successful at it, she jogs in place for an hour while watching T.V when she gets home from work.
  • Tla0126
    Tla0126 Posts: 207 Member
    14 months ago, my trainer told me that working out and exercise is not a punishment for being fat; everyone needs to work out and exercise to be healthy. That single statement flipped a switch in my head, and here we are!!!
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
    One thing that made a difference for me is really tightening up my food logging. When I pay very close attention to my calories in, I am motivated to do something (anything) to burn more so I can eat more.

    I bought a little mini pedal thing. I can sit in a chair at my computer or watching TV in the evening and pedal. It's almost no effort, takes no extra time, but for me burns about 100 calories an hour. I also do 30 Day Shred during lunch, it's only about 25 minutes so easy to fit in.
  • Fsunami
    Fsunami Posts: 241 Member
    14 months ago, my trainer told me that working out and exercise is not a punishment for being fat; everyone needs to work out and exercise to be healthy. That single statement flipped a switch in my head, and here we are!!!

    And it just flipped the one in mine.... virtual hug in transit.

    Holy ****, that got my attention......
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    Here's my 2 cents:
    I gave up trying to motivate myself to exercise. It never got "fun" for me. At least, the type of exercise that involves going to the gym and running in place for an hour or pulling on weight machines over and over. Big yawn.
    Nowadays I go for a bike ride out in the great wide-open outdoors. Way more stimulating. I strap on a backpack and go hiking in the great big outdoors. I shovel snow every chance I get. I rollerskate with the grandkids. You get the idea.
    Do something you love to do. It doesn't seem like "exercise" that way.
    I decided I'd rather cut way back on fattening hi-cal food than have to work it off later. It isn't all working out; eating right can do wonders for weight loss.
  • My motivation is focusing on the feeling I get when I complete a workout.
    The satisfaction and accomplishment after it's all over.

    I actually look forward to hard workouts now because I know it makes it a whole lot
    easier and much more pleasant when I see it in a more positive light.

    When it gets hard, I imagine others going through the same struggle
    and it makes me push harder, to better myself, to inspire those who are going
    through the same thing to push the limits.

    I hope that helps you get motivated. You can do this!
    You'll never regret a good workout. I promise. :)
  • Listeninguponyou
    Listeninguponyou Posts: 507 Member
    I think about my weight, why I joined this site, my favorite upbeat song, and I get going. When I have the thought of exercise (good or bad) I just do it!
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    Most of us became fat by over eating, not under exercising!
    I'm in agreement here. Focus on your food habits first; worry about exercising later. You may find, once some additional weight has been shed, you will want to move more. In the meantime, pack exercise into your everyday routine in little bits: take the stairs instead of the elevator; park at the far end of the lot and walk; walk or ride your bike instead of taking a car, whenever possible. You get the idea.
  • LadyRN76
    LadyRN76 Posts: 4,275 Member
    14 months ago, my trainer told me that working out and exercise is not a punishment for being fat; everyone needs to work out and exercise to be healthy. That single statement flipped a switch in my head, and here we are!!!

    Wow...perfect saying...love it!
  • bv109
    bv109 Posts: 83
    friend is aesthetic. you would think he was on steroids

    and people mirin my aesthetics
  • I just recently purchased the Jawbone UP24. I named it My Motivator. It was just under a $100.00, so the cost motivates me to make use of it. It is super easy to use. You set your goals although it does offer you guidelines for helping set up your goals. The huge bonus is that it links to myfitnesspal and helps keep me honest.
    I have been using it for 3 days now, and just having it on my wrist reminds that I made a promise to take good care of myself.
  • w734q672
    w734q672 Posts: 578 Member
    The best way to become motivated is through Cross Fit. Cross Fit will get you motivated with intense workouts. You won't have any trouble getting motivated when you're trying to survive for your life. Forget bodybuilding, steriods or mp3 players, do Cross Fit.

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    Here's an example of an exercise we do in Cross Fit. This is one of the fundamental exercises that you'll be doing to increase work capacity across broad time and modal domains
  • nxiety
    nxiety Posts: 84 Member
    I just reminded myself that there are people out there that would truly do everything in their power to exercise but physically can't. I owe it to them, and to myself to be in the best shape I can. Getting up to exercise has since become the easiest part of my day.
  • caitconquersweight
    caitconquersweight Posts: 316 Member
    My motivation is the extra calories I get to eat. More exercise means more food. Aw yiss
  • hobbeskastiel
    hobbeskastiel Posts: 221 Member
    Everyday I spend a couple minutes looking online at pictures of and stories about people who have lost lots of weight. Then i decide, (everyday) that if they can do it why can't I. Then I go do it.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    The feeling i get after working out inspires me to work out when i don't feel "in the mood".
  • nicolemtracy
    nicolemtracy Posts: 301 Member
    For me my motivation was a few different things. Like another poster, my dog was getting fat and needed some care, I'm now dogsitting my friends' dog and need to keep him healthy and I kind of had an epiphany the other day. When am I going to make time for me? When I'm 50 and it's a lot harder for me to do or when I'm 50 pound heavier? Just do it NOW!
  • ruthejp13
    ruthejp13 Posts: 213 Member
    motivation.jpg
    I make little changes habits every day so that if I don't "workout" I still stay healthy. One example is that I never take the elevator for less than 4 floors. I ride my bike to the library instead of driving. I sit on an exercise ball while watching TV.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I am fat and want to be thin. That's my motivation. I want the fat GONE, so I do everything I can to get rid of it. I'm happy to see it go. Can't be gone fast enough.
  • majica8
    majica8 Posts: 210 Member
    Can't say I need motivation most days. I love cycling every day, the fact that it's making me healthy and giving me more calories to use each day is just a bonus. If/when I reach my goal weight I will continue to cycle.

    Find something you love doing.