How do you push yourself to workout?

2

Replies

  • fdlewenstein
    fdlewenstein Posts: 231 Member
    What motivates me is knowing what happens if I don't push myself. It's about discipline and a positive mindset. I'm trying new ways to stay active and I've gotten away from the club to more intimate and smaller venues. I work one-on-one with a weight trainer and pilates (classes of 12 or less). I found that I feel more comfortable and like the individualized attention. Try what excites you. I always put my exercise time in my calendar to hold myself accountable.
  • DiscusTank5
    DiscusTank5 Posts: 328 Member
    Make exercise part of your regular schedule. After 21 days, it will be a habit and you won't have to think about it--you'll just do it. Like Nike! ;)
  • imfornd70
    imfornd70 Posts: 552 Member
    truth - I am rarely motivated to lift the weight I do - It hurts - during and after - joints ache - etc... BUT its discipline - not motivation that keeps me going - many days i dont want to go but I make myself go -
  • bethieannie
    bethieannie Posts: 75 Member
    I have made a rule that I must do my workout before lunch. I get home from work, make lunch for my brother-in-law (special needs-lives with us) and go get my workout done. I workout in the living room while he eats in the kitchen, by the time I'm done (less than 30 min) I'm more than ready to eat. It works for me.
  • katsheare
    katsheare Posts: 1,025 Member
    I have turned my exercise time into 'putting into myself' time; being a working mum to a small child who wants to spend quality time with my partner means that carving that time out is the only way I get it. Like some of the other previous posters, I find things to add in for that additional 'encouragement' (watching old episodes of a favourite TV show while doing my bodyweight workouts - I love the result but hate doing them...) but I would say: make it as easy as possible to succeed, and really hard to fail at getting your workouts in. If it's a push every time in every way, it won't be sustainable; and at the end of the day sustainability is what will see you through to success!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    Like others have said, I made it a habit that wasn't optional - like brushing my teeth.

    To facilitate the habit, though, I found there were things I can do to make it easier. I workout in the morning before work. So the night before, I lay out my workout clothes and pack my work clothes/shower items, etc, for getting ready at the gym. I prep/pack my breakfast and lunch and put them in the fridge so I can grab them on my way out the door.

    I do NOT allow myself to hit the snooze button. I found that I never really fall back asleep anyway, and I end up regretting it. So I just don't do it. It is not an option.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    ahimes39 wrote: »
    Make exercise part of your regular schedule. After 21 days, it will be a habit and you won't have to think about it--you'll just do it. Like Nike! ;)

    It would be nice if it worked on a 21 day schedule but it is usually not that formulaic. Exercise can be instantly desirable or instantly hated with a spectrum of possibilities in between. If hated not much will help it become a habit that requires no thought.

    I think the OP has gotten most of the answers but I will approach it from another angle. You have to eat enough food to fuel the exercise. If you don't and it drains you more than it should I believe you will always struggle. Maintaining a proper energy balance is a primal motivation. If you feel physically fatigued you will be fighting a pretty core part of yourself to do more activity.

    If you really want to pave the way to accepting new exercise/activity I would even suggest eating maintenance for a week while you start. Feel the best you can feel so you are less likely to form a negative association with it.

    I am not assuming you, the OP, are doing anything wrong with the way you eat now. I am saying that from my experience when I am struggling with my energy being too low the last thing I want to do is move more. If it happens to be an issue for you I am hoping that recognizing the cause will help.
  • mallyb1990
    mallyb1990 Posts: 2 Member
    I always feel better afterwards, but sometimes even knowing I'll feel better isn't enough... in those moments, I take my pre-workout. I do that for two reasons.
    1. I hate wasting my pre-workout! So If I take it, I get my booty to the gym, or at least do an at home workout.
    2. I can't sit still once the caffeine kicks in, so I have to work it off anyways. :smile:

  • TEQWAR
    TEQWAR Posts: 1,616 Member
    edited January 2020
    I find I'm the other way. When I should be resting I want to get out and run or cycle. Even 2 broken clavicles, 4 broken ribs and a metatarsal stress fracture couldn't put me off.
  • kjstrick15
    kjstrick15 Posts: 1 Member
    I have a "before" picture as the lock screen photo on my phone. This picture is of myself at my heaviest weight. I have since lost 64 pounds. When I look at it, I am reminded of how I felt and how I looked, how unhealthy I was when the photo was taken. It encourages me to stay on track and to not stop, never give up! This is usually enough to get me off my rump and get moving!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I sign up for races throughout the year. I love racing and I know it won't be fun if I don't do the proper training, so that's great motivation to get it done!
  • tjawesometaco
    tjawesometaco Posts: 1 Member
    I always pack my workout clothes and gear before I head to work. If I lose motivation to exercise as the day drags on, I can't excuse not going to lift or do 20 minutes of cardio because I already spent the time organizing my stuff. At that point I just suck it up, grit my teeth, take my pre, and go lift.

    It doesn't always have to be a sweat-drenched, brutal workout. Forcing yourself to go, without motivation, builds discipline and mental toughness. Those two things will take you farther than motivation ever will.
  • kdbulger
    kdbulger Posts: 396 Member
    It's just a mental discipline I had to develop. Now I don't think about it, or let my feelings about willingness to do it govern my actual action.

    In the beginning stages it was a build-up. Started 3x a week with short, easy workouts and just gradually increased duration/intensity/frequency. I would plan once a week and build the time right into my schedule. I had a rule that I had to show up, and if I still felt terrible or didn't want to after the first ten minutes, then I could quit. I only used that ten-minute 'out' a few times when I really wasn't feeling physically well.
  • vjoffre83
    vjoffre83 Posts: 1 Member
    If getting out to the gym is the issue, specially these, cold, snowy days of winter... I use the SworkIT app and do a body weight workout at home. You can program how many minutes and if you want full body, upper or lower body workout. I put it on for 15 minutes, and if I feel like I can do more, I set it for another 15- which usually ends up being the case- but if not, 15 minutes is better than no minutes ;)
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,817 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Like others have said, I made it a habit that wasn't optional - like brushing my teeth.

    To facilitate the habit, though, I found there were things I can do to make it easier. I workout in the morning before work. So the night before, I lay out my workout clothes and pack my work clothes/shower items, etc, for getting ready at the gym. I prep/pack my breakfast and lunch and put them in the fridge so I can grab them on my way out the door.

    I do NOT allow myself to hit the snooze button. I found that I never really fall back asleep anyway, and I end up regretting it. So I just don't do it. It is not an option.

    We used to have a dog that had to be walked every morning before work. Didn't matter what the weather was, he was a high energy dog and HAD to have a walk at 6 a.m. Rain. Shine. -30 degrees. Blizzard. Didn't matter. I always laid my clothes out the night before and when my alarm went I turned it off and rolled out of bed in one motion. If I didn't.....if I even thought about it for a nano second....I was done and wouldn't get up. When I started running a few years ago I applied that same process so I could run before work. It always worked for me. Don't think about it. Do it. Motivation not required.
  • Courtscan2
    Courtscan2 Posts: 498 Member
    I set my alarm for 5am and get started before my brain has a chance to properly wake up, and tries to talk me out of it. Also makes it harder for the "stuff" of the day to interfere with my planned workout.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,052 Member
    All good comments that apply to me too so I don’t have anything original to add except another example.
    1) All my cardio is outside, and sometimes it’s the only time I’m out in the sun all day and sometimes it’s the best part of my day. Even if the weather is hugely demotivating and I’m not feeling it, I still kinda *need* the cardio, more for my head than my body. I start feeling anxious and fidgety without it. It’s my only disciplined time to check in with what’s going on emotionally and process stuff. Sometimes stuff bubbles into my awareness and sometimes I spontaneously solve a work problem. It’s pretty productive uninterrupted time for myself.
    2) I’m not in love with weight training, but I do love feeling strong. I have 2 routines that I alternate 2-3 times a week each. The key for me is each routine is only 15 min. It’s hard to make excuses when it’s only 15 min. I usually do it before eating lunch.

    For me, it was easier to achieve consistency when I found a balance between a “workout” that is challenging enough to hold my interest when I’m feeling strong but also easy enough that I know I can get through it and do some good even when I’m not at my best. I hope you find something that works for you and that you enjoy, OP. Anyone who is consistent has days they feel unmotivated or not at the top of their game, and they do it anyway.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,935 Member
    1. I do active things I find fun, mostly,

    and

    2. I think about how much future Ann needs me to stay reasonably fit, so that she need not make a permanent move to assisted living any sooner than absolutely necessary, and can have a satisfying life for as long as possible.

    I'm 64. I have some fit friends, including some up into their 70s and 80s, mostly recreational athletes. I have some very unfit and overweight to obese friends, in their 50s through 70s, mostly mixed-media artists.

    On average, the latter people need to take more medicines (with side effects); have more surgeries (and recover much more slowly/painfully from them); can't do lots of fun things that involve much walking or stairs (art fairs, events at sports stadiums, music festivals, etc.); need help with a wide range of simple home chores (from children or paid help) like flipping the mattress, shoveling snow, yard work, etc.; have more food/drink restrictions (from health conditions or medicine interactions); have difficulty with mobility (many have canes or walkers); need "grabbers" to pick up things that fall on the floor; and more. (This is not criticism: These are wonderful people whose friendship I value greatly, from whom I've learned many useful things, and whose company I enjoy. I'm sympathetic and sad about their current circumstances, truly, especially as most don't really believe that much improvement is achievable for them. Of course I do what I can to help them with practical things).

    I know which group I'd prefer to be like, as I grow older, to the extent that I have a choice. It's not just about longevity per se, but about quality of life for more of life. For me, that's pretty motivational.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I leave my walking shoes right in front of the door. I look at them in disgust but put them on anyway, because my wife wants me to fix the lawnmower so I can cut the grass and because the dogs are hauling because they want to go for a walk. Then I look out of the window and see my gorgeous neighbour getting ready for her walk. Taking this all into consideration, there is no quicker way putting on my walking shoes...
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    I agree with many of the tips that have been given so far: pick activities you enjoy, use discipline and habit instead of motivation, and remind yourself of your reasons for doing this.

    However, even with all those things I sometimes feel like I just can’t.

    When that happens, I tell myself it’s okay, I just won’t do it. I give myself permission to not work out that day. I spend the whole day up until time to leave relaxing and enjoying being a bum.

    And then I gather my running clothes, eat my pre-run snack, get dressed, and drive to the park where I run. And by the time my brain figures out that I am a big lying liar, I am doing my workout.

Categories