Motivation for Exercising

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  • LiLee2018
    LiLee2018 Posts: 1,389 Member
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    Have this same problem. I'm lazy AF and I hate exercising, but I do love how I feel after I do it. It's just getting that motivation to actually do it that I'm finding so difficult.
    Just exercised today and it's going to be an every day struggle to continue it... but I need to. Just going to have to force it until it becomes habit.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    edited October 2018
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    Set goals.
    Try some different activities.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,181 Member
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    wxlaw wrote: »
    I have this problem in which I feel good and satisfied after working out; however, the thought of not going for exercise keeps on creeping into my head every time before I exercise. I just have to force myself to go work out, and I feel great afterwards, but during the next day, I became demotivated and again have to force myself to exercise. Does anyone had any suggestions or able to share the story how you motivate yourself to exercise?

    My main thing is what others have recommended: Find something active that you love so much that you'd do it even if it weren't good for you.

    Beyond that, appointment workouts or workout buddies can also be a help. For example, if I'm signed up for a class at the Y rather than just planning to go there and work out on my own, I'm more likely to do it. Or, if I've told my friend Suzie I'll meet her Tuesday at 6 to work out, I'm almost guaranteed to go so as not to stand Suzie up. In the group classes, once I have friends or acquaintances there whom it's fun to see, that also reduces the chances I'll skip.

    For some people, publically signing up in advance for some kind of challenge is a motivator. (The Concept 2 Holiday Challenge helps me reconcile to the end of on-water rowing season and get started on winter indoor rowing, for example.) The challenge forum here has some good options (but also some silly ones ;) - be selective!).

    Another, more subtle thing that can help is making it a point to put yourself in an environment where being active seems like the standard way people behave. People in general are subtly but substantially influenced by group norms. We're mostly wired to like to feel like part of a social group, to want to behave in a "normal" way, etc.

    Often, at the starting point of a weight loss/fitness improvement, many of the people and other cues around us from our past are subtly telling us that exercise is hard and annoying, that sitting around and eating is a fun and normal way to spend time, etc. Making new friends at the gym or via an activity-focused club is one possibility (and a good one), but even making it a point to subscribe to (scientifically sound! ;) ) newsletters, look at good fitness websites, have conversations with more active/fitness-oriented acquaintances, etc., can start to create this subtle positive influence.

    Best wishes!
  • garystrickland357
    garystrickland357 Posts: 598 Member
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    As I read your opening my first thought was, "You're normal."
    As others have said, motivation is fleeting. CHOOSE to work out for whatever your reason may be. That's easy to say - and hard to do. The other option however is to not workout and be stuck in the condition you are in now. Is that acceptable to you? If not, make the choice to work out.

    The good news is that it gets easier as your conditioning improves and as you make it a habit.
  • wxlaw
    wxlaw Posts: 25 Member
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    Thank you all for the response and suggestions! Many have recommended me to do exercise that I like, but as for the time being, I haven’t discovered a sport that I truly enjoy doing and have fun from it. My current plan would be trying to make myself to exercise everyday until it becomes a habit of mine while I will look for more exercise options in the meantime and hopefully I will be able to find something that I enjoy doing!
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    Just keep doing it until it becomes habit and a normal part of your routine. I find that the more I exercise the more I like it. Also, have you tried riding a bike.. lol.. doesn't everyone love that? It's fun. My family rides our bikes damn near every single day, maybe not everyone all together but at least 2 of us. Of course we have a toddler who rides a little strider bike so it's a little slow-going but still fun regardless, spending time together.
  • jaimydude
    jaimydude Posts: 103 Member
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    All good advice here.

    Remember, Determination is greater than motivation. Whether or not you feel like it, just go! Eventually, it will become a routine that is like everything else in your life.
    Enjoying your workout is great but doing it or not should not depend on your enjoyment. You should be doing it anyway.

    Just my $0.02.
  • cgibson522
    cgibson522 Posts: 31 Member
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    I sign up for classes so that I have a set time to workout and someone is expecting me to show up. When I just work out on my own, I'm far more likely to want to sleep in or say that I'm too tired after work.
  • bennettinfinity
    bennettinfinity Posts: 865 Member
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    jaimydude wrote: »
    All good advice here.

    Remember, Determination is greater than motivation. Whether or not you feel like it, just go! Eventually, it will become a routine that is like everything else in your life.
    Enjoying your workout is great but doing it or not should not depend on your enjoyment. You should be doing it anyway.

    Just my $0.02.

    ^ This... You need to find your determination. Define some achievable goals; even starting with something as basic as 'work out x times a week' and tracking your success rate over time can help. When those goals have been met, up the ante and repeat.

    A personal example: I'm training for my first full marathon. In training for halfs, I found that I wasn't always motivated to complete every training run as scheduled. For the full, I committed to a goal of running each training run according to schedule. So I printed off the schedule, taped it to my refrigerator, and each morning I check off the day's run. Knowing how I'll feel if I don't check it off (maybe I'm a little OCD) has gotten me out of bed when the 'Don't Wannas' and the desire to sleep later were strong... or it was raining... too hot. You get the idea.

    I used a similar approach when I first started down the fitness road and it's worked for me - hopefully it (or something like it) will work for you. Good luck!
  • EmmaCaz4
    EmmaCaz4 Posts: 113 Member
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    Find something you love. I used to hate exercise, I then started running and loved it but when I started weight lifting it got to a point where I constantly just wanted to be in the gym. I still do and if I can't get there I train at home!

    I love it that much that it hurt so bad having to stop at 39wks pregnant and I had to start again at 3wks postpartum because I'd have gone crazy otherwise.

    You have to love it to want to do it and to do it at the extent of making serious improvements in my opinion
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,818 Member
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    Just keep doing it, and it will become as habitual as brushing your teeth every day.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I like exercise that I can get to quick and early in the morning so nothing can get in the way. I like to run so I walk out my front door and go, if I go to the gym I run to the gym. If I ride my bike I pull it out and ride strait from the house. Somehow I can wake at 4:30 am without a clock and go. To do that you need to go to bed early though.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    wxlaw wrote: »
    I have this problem in which I feel good and satisfied after working out; however, the thought of not going for exercise keeps on creeping into my head every time before I exercise. I just have to force myself to go work out, and I feel great afterwards, but during the next day, I became demotivated and again have to force myself to exercise. Does anyone had any suggestions or able to share the story how you motivate yourself to exercise?

    Find something you enjoy doing that is active and do it. "Exercising" sucks...riding my bike, which is as much hobby and recreation as anything is fun...bonus...it's exercise.

    Doing some "workout" or DVD or droning away on stationary cardio machines sucks. I love riding my bike and that makes up the bulk of my exercise...I lift 2-3x per week at the gym and that can often be a chore because I'd rather be riding...but the aesthetic results keep me going in...and my lifting program only takes me about 45 minutes, so not really a big deal.
  • novakbrennan
    novakbrennan Posts: 2 Member
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    I can totally relate, I always had something that was more important, less effort or more interesting to do, I ended up being 121 kilos and feeling like it was too hard to do anything about it..
    The thing that motivated me was the challenge to see if I could make myself fitter, healthier, one day at a time.
    Like you I didn't enjoy sports as such so there wasn't motivation there, I don't follow any sport as it doesn't interest me, none of my family follow sport either so I guess that culture never got passed on to me maybe.
    All I remember was a moment I thought If I was fitter I would be able to do that (a task or movement) more easily, then I made myself the challenge and every time I felt like giving up at the gym or not going at all I would think that my challenge is to play the mental game and win by going and prove "Me" wrong, the ultimate game is with yourself

    Me= "I need to go to the gym"
    Me2= "yeah but it would be more enjoyable to lay on the couch and watch that new movie"

    After awhile, Every time I won the mental game and went to the gym, it got easier, I started focusing on the goal, and when it was hard, it wasn't hard for long.

    Me= running for 1 min "Just stop and walk, its too hard to keep running, no one will know you stopped"
    Me2= "A minute has already passed, 1 less minute to do, keep it up, your getting there! the more you do the easier it will be and.. its only for short time then you can go and realax if you want"

    I started wanting to be able to Run, When I was a kid I was forced to run in sport ect but it was never enjoyable, I had to do it because they said i had to do it!
    I decided to see how far I could go.. 30 seconds later I was walking and out of breath.. I'm now running for 8 min then walking for 1 min, running for 5 min, walking for 1 min, running for 3 min.. it my OWN personal achievement that I'm proud of, I'm getting better and actually starting to enjoy running for the first time in my 43 year life!

    Do it for YOU
    don't do it for anyone else, yes you can use the "I want to look better for... or I will go to help ...." but ultimately go because YOU want to see a change and get better, feel better.

    I'm not sure if this is what you can use, not sure if I was able to explain my concept to you lol but hey I hope your still going, I hope you have had some improvement in your own motivation.

    P.s. I also find motivation on YouTube
    "There are some amazing people with amazing stories out there that succeeded, I can too, Lets go!!"

    Have an awesome day People!!
  • LiLee2018
    LiLee2018 Posts: 1,389 Member
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    wxlaw wrote: »
    Thank you all for the response and suggestions! Many have recommended me to do exercise that I like, but as for the time being, I haven’t discovered a sport that I truly enjoy doing and have fun from it. My current plan would be trying to make myself to exercise everyday until it becomes a habit of mine while I will look for more exercise options in the meantime and hopefully I will be able to find something that I enjoy doing!

    Do you have a good imagination? You could walk around your neighborhood, or if you have an elliptical or treadmill at home.. pretend you're being chased by a monster/zombies/killer whatever.

    I've been at it for 3 days in a row. Taking a rest day today.
    What is helping me so far is just taking it easy at first. I'm not trying to do some super rigorous exercise that I'll be super sore from. I'm just doing easy cardio on my elliptical while I watch some netflix. I still have to talk myself in to doing it and ignoring all of the excuses I want to come up with to NOT do it, but taking it easy at first is helping me to stick with it.

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