9 'till 5 = lack of motivation

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natewilson
natewilson Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is it just me, or does working 9 while 5 dampen all motivation to come home and work out?? Going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark gives me zilch inspiration to come home and get my work out clothes on all I want is my pjs!! Does anyone feel the same and how do you get you *kitten* in to gear??
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  • Angelfire365
    Angelfire365 Posts: 803 Member
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    I completely feel you. Who the heck wants to work out after you **finally** make it home from eight hours of work. I'm at a desk job and I go home exhausted! Have you ever tried morning workouts? You have to get up a little earlier, but they're completely worth it. By the time my brain has woken up and joined the game, I'm already halfway done a workout. And you get to go home and get straight into Jammies!
  • kailyw05
    kailyw05 Posts: 80 Member
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    Yup! I joined a gym near my work so I fit in my weight lifting / circuit training at lunch (lately it's been 2 - 3 times per week but I hope to increase this to 3 - 4 days per week). Yes I get a little sweaty, yes it's a bit annoying sometimes, but it helps a lot. I have a treadmill at home and do my cardio workouts there in the evenings, usually on days when I don't go to the gym at lunch. And I usually limit this to 30 minutes. Feels much less daunting to me when I know I don't have to spend an hour of my evening working out.

    I still struggle every day with my evening workouts though. Luckily my husband gives me a little push to get on that treadmill when I'm feeling lazy. Hopefully you can figure out something that works for you!
  • kristy6ward
    kristy6ward Posts: 332 Member
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    9 to 5 isnt what dampens my motivation its the darkness of winter. December really destroyed me. You just have to look at it as prepping for summer...getting fit to look your best during all those warm sunlight hours. I can't wait! I keep myself in check by signing up for races. If I don't stick to my training schedule, I know the race is going to suck. It's a definite deadline to work towards. I do have those cozy nights where I just snuggle under fleece blankets and stream netflix, but thats what rest days are for.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    Yes to all of the above.

    I've been making a point of getting outside for a 20-30 minute walk at lunchtime every day. Even though it's been brutally cold (windchills of -25 to -30) and the sidewalks are icy, I just bundle up and do it. Getting some daylight or sunlight is making a world of difference to my mood.
  • radiosilents
    radiosilents Posts: 223 Member
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    Yep, It can be a challenge. I take walks on my lunch breaks most days, even in the cold. I'm fortunate that there is a space in the basement at work that I have been allowed to use for exercise, so that really helps. I just bring exercise clothing along and change into it.

    I guess after a few months I have grown to see exercise as a stress releaser and something that makes me happy, so it's not such a chore to get "motivated". I pick a class at the gym I want to do on an evening, and it becomes an appointment that I just go to, for example.
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
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    It does. That's why I work out before work.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    Yeah I work 8-4 and can think of a million reasons why I don't want to work out after work. That's why I switched to working out at 5am before I go in.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    NoelFigart1 wrote: »
    It does. That's why I work out before work.

    You are obviously very motivated. It would take a gang of machine-gun wielding guys to haul me out of bed in the morning even an instant earlier than I have to. Mornings are NOT my friend.
  • Zuidz
    Zuidz Posts: 15
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    I work 6:30-3, then come home and take a quick nap. When I wake up I usually feel ready for the gym! :)
  • allie_00p
    allie_00p Posts: 280 Member
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    NoelFigart1 wrote: »
    It does. That's why I work out before work.

    +1

  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    segacs wrote: »
    NoelFigart1 wrote: »
    It does. That's why I work out before work.

    You are obviously very motivated. It would take a gang of machine-gun wielding guys to haul me out of bed in the morning even an instant earlier than I have to. Mornings are NOT my friend.

    I used to be the same way haha. I found if I set 4 alarms on my cell phone and then place my cell phone on the other side of the room it gets me out of bed lol.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    edited January 2015
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    natewilson wrote: »
    Is it just me, or does working 9 while 5 dampen all motivation to come home and work out??

    nope
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    natewilson wrote: »
    Is it just me, or does working 9 while 5 dampen all motivation to come home and work out?? Going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark gives me zilch inspiration to come home and get my work out clothes on all I want is my pjs!! Does anyone feel the same and how do you get you *kitten* in to gear??

    My hours are a little longer and less predictable, but I feel ya. But I am a morning person, so I work out in the morning. And for my evening workouts, I have to go straight after work and sometimes I have to talk it up in my head the entire drive. I have sometimes talked myself out of going after work, but more often than not, can make it there and always feel great afterwards. If I go home first, workout is not gonna happen. I am mentally drained at the end of the day for sure.
  • sherbear702
    sherbear702 Posts: 649 Member
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    It's tough. I work 7:30 - 4:00 (8 hour day), but I try to leave my house at 6:30 to make it to work on time and I'm not usually home until 5ish. So I'm gone from home for almost 11 hours every day of the week.

    I walk on my lunch break, which is at least a half hour. Sometimes, I'll walk for an hour and just use some of my leave balances to make up for the extra 1/2 hour I took at lunch. I've also started using the 7 minute total body workout, so I do that and then go for a walk. It's been working pretty good so far.
  • DaivaSimone
    DaivaSimone Posts: 657 Member
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    I workout in the morning on the day I lift. By that, I mean that every monday, wednesday and friday, I'm leaving home at 5:45 and I'm in the gym at 6:30. By the time I finish my workout and shower myself, I'm in office at 8:10.

    The other day, I workout just after work, at home. If I wait after dinner, I won't lift my butt off the couch, so I need to do it as soon as I come home. If I have anything to do in the evening that will prevent me from exercising, I'll go in the gym in the morning instead.

    Seriously, if it was not that much a pain in the *kitten* to get up early, bring my big gym bag to work and cook and eat breakfast in my office, I would workout every morning, but sometimes, I like to have a break from big luggage in the subway.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
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    I'm fortunate that the gym I go to is on my route home, so it's really silly to drive right by it and not go. Even on bad snow days. I have to get home anyway, so stopping for a workout only makes sense. Plus, you ALWAYS feel better afterwards.

    The key is preparedness and not expecting to be motivated or even excited to workout. Habit. It's all about habit. Go to msn.com and read "5 Unexpected Ways to Break a Habit". Short, concise, and has some really good info about making NEW habits. Give it a try!
  • adge1475
    adge1475 Posts: 77 Member
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    I work 8am-5pm. I go to bed at 8pm. I get up at 4am to go to the gym. I get a lot more done in the morning with fewer distractions. I can't work out after work either; just can't get focused and the gym is too packed. It's definitely not for everybody, but that's just my priority. I also have the luxury of not having kids? I'm assuming kids make it harder for some people to work out after work?
  • adge1475
    adge1475 Posts: 77 Member
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    I work 8am-5pm. I go to bed at 8pm. I get up at 4am to go to the gym. I get a lot more done in the morning with fewer distractions. I can't work out after work either; just can't get focused and the gym is too packed. It's definitely not for everybody, but that's just my priority. I also have the luxury of not having kids? I'm assuming kids make it harder for some people to work out after work?
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    adge1475 wrote: »
    I go to bed at 8pm. I get up at 4am to go to the gym.

    That sounds like pure torture to me. You know the expression "you don't live longer, it just feels longer"?

    Going to bed at 8pm would mean giving up everything in my life that I enjoy -- my friends, my social life, my activities, pretty much everything.

    I get that some people don't mind because they're morning people. As a night owl, I'm just saying that I'd rather poke hot needles in my eye.
  • MommysLittleMeatball
    MommysLittleMeatball Posts: 2,064 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I hate mornings. I'm not a morning person. I love sleep, love my bed, love staying up late because falling asleep isn't easy for me, but I WANT to be fit and I need to work out to do so.
    I work 8-5pm. I wake up at 5:20am to stretch/jog, eventually that will turn into 5am. It's dark in the morning and I hate it. My alarm goes off and I just want to snooze, but I don't and I love that I get my a55 up and move. I love how I have more energy at work. I love that I can actually fall asleep now at night instead of laying in bed awake. I love the progress I am making with my running.

    I still struggle in the morning when my alarm goes off, but I know I won't run in the evening, so I get up. I talk myself out of the excuses and get my head off the pillow.

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