Tips to get me to the gym

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beatleb
beatleb Posts: 1 Member
in Motivation and Support
Help! I have two gym memberships and a treadmill. I workout maybe once a week. I need some help getting motivated.

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  • Ssssss666666
    Ssssss666666 Posts: 560 Member
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    Me too
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Motivation is your desire for a goal and your drive to pursue it. What's your motivation for going to the gym? Go to the gym if you want to. (I find it extremely boring so I don't.) You don't have to go the gym to exercise. You don't have to exercise to lose weight.
  • meepmya
    meepmya Posts: 37 Member
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    Make exercise non negotiable. Sometimes I’ve found that actually putting it in my diary. Setting out my clothes and shoes that I will wear to the gym and putting my alarm as far away from my bed as possible is the only way to go. Social activity always helps too, so if you have access to it join an exercise class of your choice, once you start meeting others it’s a lot harder to skip classes and they should help keep you motivated to keep going too. Hope this helps
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,477 Member
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    OK. But motivation is only about getting started. Habit will sustain you. Determination gets you past the particularly rough spots.

    Why do you want to go to the gym? Just me, I joined the gym because I was tired at working out at home.

    Are you in the “I’ll spend money, then I’ll have to go” group? Generally doesn’t work. After you identify the reasons you want to go, spend some time identifying the reasons you don’t want to go.
    Can you make any deals with yourself that both sides can live with?

    Are you making unrealistic demands on yourself? Start slow. Resist the temptation to start an aggressive exercise ramp up. Aim to workout 6X per week and enjoy your day off. Just go and walk on the treadmill until you’re in the habit of showing up. You’ll know it’s a habit when you start to think about skipping but feel weird and guilty doing that. When the day comes when the weather is awful or you really can’t get there, use the home treadmill as a backup.

    And good habits need to be defended sometimes. The day will come when you need to go to the gym just because it’s time to go to the gym.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    What do you or would you do at the gym? The only thing I do at the gym is lift. I enjoy lifting, but I'm not always motivated to do so after a long day of work...but I do it anyway. There are frankly many days when I'd rather just go home to my family and pop a cold one than hit the gym after work. I do it anyway and it's only 3x per week, so even if I'm not feeling it, I can manage 3 days per week and just do it.

    In regards to the treadmill, can't help you there...I find stationary cardio to be about the most boring thing ever, and the treadmill to be about the worst offender. I primarily road cycle and I love it...it's great exercise, but also recreation and hobby. I also enjoy walking my dog in the mornings with a mug of coffee...it's a great way to start the day.

    I'd recommend finding exercise activity that you like to do...motivation becomes less of a factor when you enjoy what you do. People tend to have a very myopic view of what constitutes exercise and they tend to think they have to either be droning away on a piece of stationary equipment or jumping around their living rooms to some DVD.

    Go outside...go for a run...go for a ride...jump in the pool...head for the mountains and go for a hike...grab a kayak and hit the lake. There are many ways to get regular exercise in your life without ever setting foot in a gym.

  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
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    If you don't want to go to the gym consider finding another exercise or activity you DO enjoy and incorporate it in your day. Walks (find walking groups or buddy, walk home or part of way home, etc). Cycling. Group workout classes. There are TONS of ways to get exercise that don't involve going to a gym .
  • williamwj2017
    williamwj2017 Posts: 79 Member
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    Just go. Dont even think about it. Once you're there you'll know what to do.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited July 2018
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    I have learned to really look forward to it as my "me" time. I work full-time and I have 2 kids. When I go to the gym, I typically listen to a podcast or watch a show on Prime or Amazon. Find some good podcasts and listen to them while you work out. This was a game-changer for me. I do weights or run on the treadmill and if I'm watching or listening to something good, the time flies by. I look forward to my workouts because I can get my shows in! If I didn't have something good to watch or listen to while I worked out, I'd die of boredom and probably never go as much.
  • Lizakabibbis
    Lizakabibbis Posts: 370 Member
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    I don't look at it as an option. It's an hour and a half I dedicate to myself 4x a week. I wake up at 4am...no option to back out. Now, 2 years later I look forward to it!
  • Xerogs
    Xerogs Posts: 328 Member
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    I work out at home so I just make it part of my daily routine 5 days a week. Initially it was just treadmill but now I lift and do higher intensity treadmill sessions. Make yourself a small goal at first, like I will get on the treadmill 5 days a week at a certain time and keep up with it for a few weeks. Once you feel good about the routine then just add to it. If you are bored on the treadmill find something else to keep your mind occupied like listening to a podcast or watching a TV series. Lately I've been watching Comedians in Cars getting Coffee and listening to the Dark Art Society and Freaky Fandoms podcasts because they fit in my workout time well. So find your interest and use it especially it things get tedious. Lastly you just have to do it if you really want to do it. Self motivation is where it's at, you need to find your reasons why and carve out time in your day for yourself to meet your goals. It's nice to get motivation from other people but they can't be there everyday and the only person around is yourself.
  • William54321
    William54321 Posts: 652 Member
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    You need to stop asking and get jiving.
    Once you get into the habit its hard habit to break

    Apologies for the songs now ringing in your head
  • TeresaW1020
    TeresaW1020 Posts: 3,231 Member
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    It's much more about commitment than motivation. I'm never really motivated to get on my treadmill unless General Hospital is particularly juicy that day! ;) But I'm committed to getting fit and for me walking is part of the plan. I have that C25K app and find that fun to do because it pushes me. I also love doing the different programs on my machine and pushing myself that way.
  • Bex953172
    Bex953172 Posts: 4,083 Member
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    Watch this...
    https://youtu.be/Lp7E973zozc
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
    edited July 2018
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    I've tried the gym thing and I didn't like it, so I don't go and that is OK! The gym isn't for everyone so if you don't want to go or just don't like it then you don't have to force yourself.

    I get my exercise by running/walking with my dogs and body weight exercises if the weather is too bad to go out.

    Stay within your calorie goal and try to move as much as you can :)

    edit: you can also put the money your spending on gym memberships that you aren't using to good use I'm sure! Buy some weights or a jump rope, treadmill, etc...
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Go at a set time, like before or after work when you’re already on the move. It’s an appointment, not something you do when you “feel motivated”. For me the motivation comes about 15 min into my workout!
    If I worked out only when I “felt motivated” I would still weigh 300 lb and unable to walk up my own driveway.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
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    Loved the video! “Just do it”!

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