What do you do to motivate your self during a workout

sopia717
sopia717 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Motivation goes along way during your weight-loss journey,so what do you do to keep you motivated.

1. listen to music during the workout
2. Ask someone to keep you motivate.
3. keep going over a mantra in you head "I can do this 10 minutes to go".

WHAT DO YOU DO???
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Replies

  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    I lift weights. When I used to run as my primary source of exercise, I found I had to talk myself into doing it, and I needed a lot of willpower to get it done. With lifting, I don't have a lot of room to think, since I'm so focused on form and pressing my next rep. It takes up a good chunk of empty space in my head!
  • NoIdea101NoIdea
    NoIdea101NoIdea Posts: 659 Member
    If I'm on the treadmill or rowing machine or something, I listen to music.

    If I am doing weights, I am my own 'drill sergeant'; 'come on you loser, you can do one more, you need to earn this!'

    If I am on the bikes or something where I am 'hands free' I will usually use my phone to browse facebook or play a game, to help take my mind off the exercise :p
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    NoIdea101NoIdea wrote: »
    If I'm on the treadmill or rowing machine or something, I listen to music.

    If I am doing weights, I am my own 'drill sergeant'; 'come on you loser, you can do one more, you need to earn this!'

    If I am on the bikes or something where I am 'hands free' I will usually use my phone to browse facebook or play a game, to help take my mind off the exercise :p

    I forgot about the last one! I'm the same. I have a stationary bike at home, and lately I've been watching Orange is the New Black and playing on my phone.
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    Ha! I'm terribly unmotivated, so I go to group training sessions. I pay someone to motivate me!
  • RobertWilkens
    RobertWilkens Posts: 77 Member
    sopia717 wrote: »
    Motivation goes along way during your weight-loss journey,so what do you do to keep you motivated.

    1. listen to music during the workout
    2. Ask someone to keep you motivate.
    3. keep going over a mantra in you head "I can do this 10 minutes to go".

    WHAT DO YOU DO???

    What i do is:
    1. Step on the scale every day... My weight's high - that's motivation... I also watch my progress on scale over time and short term, and pay attention to BF% so i don't strictly watch weight. I also take BF% at my lower body (scale i step on does that) and I have a hand-held body fat % analyzer which my guess would take upper body BF%.
    2. I report in after each PLANNED exercise (formal exercise) to my therapist, who doesn't mind me e-mailing her about it.. When i'm accountable, I feel more motivated to continue or push myself to do more
    3. Sometimes i listen to pandora, or if i'm doing a long stretch on a treadmill, I might get out phone or tablet, and watch something on netflix like an episode of Breaking Bad (figure 45-50 minutes) as that can sometimes make the time go quicker..
  • bmele0
    bmele0 Posts: 282 Member
    On the treadmill, when I'm jogging- I listen to music and focus on breathing, making sure I'm not tensing up parts of my body that don't need to be that tense, and keeping my knees somewhat soft if that makes any sense. I do get super bored on the treadmill/elliptical or anything that makes me feel like some kind of lab rat on a wheel.

    Jogging outside is preferable because at least there is some scenery with my music.

    Doing HIIT, Tabata, circuits, kick-boxing workouts in my living room keeps me pretty engaged because the exercise changes so frequently and you are moving so quickly that I don't have too much time to think about much. I blast music and keep chugging along.

    Some days, it doesn't matter, maybe I didn't get enough sleep the night before, didn't drink enough water through the day or eat as much food as I should have before trying to pull off an intense session of exercise, and I just can't make it all the way through. If I know I'm not up for it, I focus on eating less calories that day and just cleaning house or going for an easy walk.

    Also, taking the proper amount of rest during the week keeps me a bit more motivated at the next workout session.
  • britishbeau
    britishbeau Posts: 60 Member
    i try to get myself a machine in front of the tv, even the im not interested in the program i find it helps the time go faster, or i let my mind wander, i used to think about driving maneuvers when i was taking my test. lately i think about how much i hate my ex, that got me my fastest 10km time.
  • mollyBirchall
    mollyBirchall Posts: 14 Member
    edited June 2015
    listen/watch Dwayne Johnson lip sync "shake it off"
  • FatMoojor
    FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
    Long runs outside nature takes care of my motivation, I just take in the scenery and enjoy it. Long runs in the gym are probably the hardest thing.
    2 hours on the treadmill and not even the best music around is enough. I don't think I have or could manage more than 2 hours on a treadmill.
  • krdews
    krdews Posts: 124 Member
    I actually like getting my sweat on! So I'm always pretty motivated to workout; but on those occasions when I'd rather be doing anything else but - I tell myself just walk and I always end up running or just go to the gym and 5 minutes in with some good music I'm pumped and I can get a good training day in. Since doing MFP I weigh myself everyday; so that motivates me to stay the course and if I'm up a few lbs... I know to push it! More recently after reading various post on MFP; I'm inspired and motivated by everyone's story and that's a good thing!
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I watch The View every morning while on the elliptical at the gym.
    My anger at the idiotic things a couple of the women say keeps my intensity way up there!
    I just look in the mirror at my form when I'm lifting to make sure I'm doing it right.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    just tell myself it's not that bad and it's almost over. seems to work for me
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Netflix if I'm using a machine for cardio, music or an audio book if I'm running outside. If I'm lifting, I'm pretty focused, but check various social media between sets.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    When I'm having a day where I want to scrub out a set or two and not for any physical reason (if something hurts, I stop), I write my goal for the main lift of the day on the white board and stare at it during rest periods. Works like a charm
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Tell myself not to be such a b*tch.

    There's people out there with real problems - go lift the damn weight, son.
  • carakirkey
    carakirkey Posts: 199 Member
    Music at the gym. Forgot my headphones the other day and realized how loud it was and was distracted by what other people were doing. Just could not keep focused.
    I have a trainer at the gym that I meet with once a month to help keep me on track(Included with my membership! love the Y).
    Nature and some quality 'me' time motivate me to get outside for a bike ride or hike.
    And I tell myself, I never regret getting exercise. Always feel better and less stressed after a workout.
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  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
    I love to cook and I'm constantly meal planning/creating my grocery list in my head while working out :p
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    Keep telling myself that I can keep going, I'm not gonna die, just gonna get more fit. And countdown like every second of the work out hahaha "10 minutes, 30 seconds left..you've got this"
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    edited June 2015
    I go full gamer nerd and replay battles from the last game night in my head. It's a great distraction.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    I keep track of what I do (time to run or row a certain distance, weight lifted, number of pull-ups, etc.) and compete with myself. I don't expect to set a personal record everyday, but I expect to be respectable.
  • Sweet_Heresy
    Sweet_Heresy Posts: 411 Member
    BFDeal wrote: »
    Nipple clamps!

    I thought I was the only one...

    Lol, usually I listen to music and that gets me pumped. But I'm usually so focused on lifting I don't need additional motivation.
  • Bizurke51
    Bizurke51 Posts: 190 Member
    music and i bully myself, playing on insecurities haha. Always making myself worry about my arms getting flabby or my chest getting smaller. fear is a powerful motivator
  • Numberwang22
    Numberwang22 Posts: 213 Member
    Listen to pumping tunes and visualise myself in the band performing at Glastonbury, then all my adoring fans singing back to me B)

    Borderline nuts but works lol!
  • Binky_Muffin
    Binky_Muffin Posts: 191 Member
    The best motivation for me is a fussy baby that is soothed instantly when going for a walk or jog. LOL. I can walk all day. :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    MasterOfPuppets.jpg
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    I decide what I will be doing before starting the exercise and tell myself that finishing isnt optional.
  • captivatedlife
    captivatedlife Posts: 60 Member
    I go to classes. I want to out punch and out dance my peers. Having people around me is a great motivator for me. On the treadmill I mix it up by doing intervals - 2 song warm up, 1 song low intensity, .5 song high intensity, 1.5 song li, 1 song hi, ect. I hate being bored. If I'm listening to a book on tape, I will set my timer up and do the same hing but using 1-3 minute intervals.
  • JanelleG0122
    JanelleG0122 Posts: 323 Member
    I personally listen to music, watch ESPN, and watch the other people in the gym kicking butt. Everyone has different motivations, my motivations is watching others push it harder which causes me to push it harder.
  • icedcupcake1981
    icedcupcake1981 Posts: 16 Member
    For me it's listening to great music and going to classes, just wanting to try and keep up with everyone helps.
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