Motivation to exercise - Advice

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bellachops101
bellachops101 Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there, I am sure that there are people out there that have far busier lives than I but I am really struggling to motivate myself to get back into exercise after the festive period. I am out the house from 6.30am - 6pm and by the time I get home I am exhausted. I am lucky that I don't have anyone but myself to look after when I do get home (my partner does not get home until 10pm) but even so I can't seem to get myself motivated to do anything but sit on the sofa!

So how do you guys do it. With my partner working until lat each night I have to stay up until 11pm to even spend an hour a day with him so I can't really get up any earlier to exercise before work so how do you motivate yourself to do a workout when you are tired and have been working all day?

Thanks for the advice x

Replies

  • ingeborgv
    ingeborgv Posts: 175 Member
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    I go to the gym on my way home from work. I'm like you, I can't get my butt off the couch once I've sat down - so I have to get my exercise in before I get home. A light snack right after work, then the gym, THEN dinner and chores before I hit the couch.

    But yeah, it takes some willpower sometimes - luckily, I've NEVER regretted going to the gym. However, I have berated myself for NOT going to the gym many a time. What makes me feel better? Getting the job done.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    try working 12 hr night shifts at a busy hospital, all the while going part time to school. I work opposite shifts as my wifey. I dont have kids, but i have a dog and three cats that need feeding when i get home around 7am. I feed them, take the dog out and head to the gym. I have recently been taking more online classes, but when I had to be on campus at 8am till 10am. I would hit the gym on the days I didnt have to work that night. believe me I find the time to fit it in and the energy. Energy to me is motivation and will power. yes i'm exhausted at times, but I still drag myself to the gym and give 100 % while i'm there.
  • joleanrook
    joleanrook Posts: 117
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    I keep a thinspiration board on Pinterest, when I need motivation I go browse it..
    http://pinterest.com/joleanrook/thinspiration/
  • bellachops101
    bellachops101 Posts: 27 Member
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    I go to the gym on my way home from work. I'm like you, I can't get my butt off the couch once I've sat down - so I have to get my exercise in before I get home. A light snack right after work, then the gym, THEN dinner and chores before I hit the couch.

    But yeah, it takes some willpower sometimes - luckily, I've NEVER regretted going to the gym. However, I have berated myself for NOT going to the gym many a time. What makes me feel better? Getting the job done.

    This is good advice, thank you. I need to remember that last bit next time I can't be bothered as this morning I do regret not doing anything last night.
  • dellyicious
    dellyicious Posts: 5
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    I put on some seriously motivational music, then it gets me pumped for a workout :)

    Try LMFAO- Im sexy and i know it, and damn who's a sexy *****- have you tried running to those tunes?? Its great! Silly songs but that beat gets ya going!
  • wsrsjt
    wsrsjt Posts: 5 Member
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    Hi there, I have the same problem - when I used to belong to a gym I thought I'd done well when I didn't stop at the chippy/Indian/chinese/kebab shop, all of which I passed on the way home :ohwell: . I gave up my membership and bought a WII, I still have problems with motivation but at least I'm not wasting the membership fee. Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • marielw
    marielw Posts: 126 Member
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    Hi, I work full time (8am - 4pm) and have an almost 2 year old to look after when i get home. I don't put myself under any pressure to exercise every single day, i just do it when I can. If it is dry during the day then i will go for a walk at lunchtime - even if it's just a 10 minute fast walk. When my son has gone to bed at 8pm i might then do an aerobics dvd (short one), or if there is something i want to watch on the tv then i will put the exercise bike in front of the tv for half an hour or so, but this is only 3-4 times a week, not every night. I think it's important to have a life aswell and have time to relax in the evenings. :flowerforyou:
  • goodasgoldilox165
    goodasgoldilox165 Posts: 333 Member
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    Can you add exercise as part of your commute to work? I do the 'walking whenever possible', but on the way to work my (slim) husband stops the car early and cycles part of the way. Like you, he has a long day but says this has made him feel LESS tired.
  • Kaylee_law_123
    Kaylee_law_123 Posts: 450 Member
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    I'm in the same boat work wise, I have a very stressful job that is mentally exhausting so I do struggle when I get home to get my butt moving again so I try and go to the gym on the way home, then when I get home I can happily sit on the couch without feeling guilty!
    Another one I try is to walk to the supermaket after work to get stuff for dinner, I love buying fresh ingredients so I can kill two birds with one stone that way :-)

    Good luck!
  • monkeymouse74
    monkeymouse74 Posts: 288
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    I go to the gym on my way home from work. I'm like you, I can't get my butt off the couch once I've sat down - so I have to get my exercise in before I get home. A light snack right after work, then the gym, THEN dinner and chores before I hit the couch.

    But yeah, it takes some willpower sometimes - luckily, I've NEVER regretted going to the gym. However, I have berated myself for NOT going to the gym many a time. What makes me feel better? Getting the job done.

    I agree, If you go home first, you'll sit down and relax, and then it's really dificult to get up and go exercise. So go to the gym on your way home, it's a bit of a pain in the butt to begin with, but soon it becomes a part of your day and you just do it without thinking.

    And try a few different things out first to find what you enjoy doing, that way, when you start, you actually enjoy it. I try to exercise first thing in the morning, but sometimes circumstance prevents it, then I just do it as soon as I have a gap. I started swimming and love it. I have to push myself somedays (most days) but once I'm in the pool, I dont want to get out. And keep you goals written down on a piece of paper and when you feel like you'll just skip, look at your list and ask yourself how much do I really want this.

    I hope this helps..:flowerforyou:
  • JamesRuss49er
    JamesRuss49er Posts: 2
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    If you've got lemons, make lemonade. Many people who are into building strength will pre-exhaust their muscles in preparation for their key strength building moves. I'm a cyclist and the rule of thumb is that it's the last third of the ride that counts - the first 2/3 simply gets you tired enough to prepare your muscles. Since you're tired when you get home, you're two-thirds of the way done. Find a full body exercise, like the kettleball swing (maybe a 5# ball) and exercise for 10-20 minutes. As you see and feel the results you might find yourself finding all sorts of ways to fit in some exercise during your busy day.
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    Can you work out at lunchtime? I find taking a break from my desk makes me more productive in the afternoon.
  • geckofli
    geckofli Posts: 155 Member
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    try a dvd (exercise not disney(: ) while you wait for your hubby to finnish work, maybe
    i could never find the time for exerciswe and then i just decided to schedual it in and make the time and now i crack wobblies big time if i cant get to the gym or do something at home, its a major dummy spit from me till i can get at least a little acitivty into my day (:
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
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    Let me give you some tough love here.. It is your choice to sit on the couch and not go to the gym. We all didnt become flabby and overweight by going to the gym. Sitting on the couch got most of us in the overweight bracket. Just go and get it over with. Pack workout clothes and some food with you before you head off to work so you have everything you need to go after work. You WILL feel much better and you WILL have more energy so that you will look forward to going to the gym.

    I was in your shoes before. Now I get antsy if I dont work out. One day of not going to the gym, my body starts yelling at me to go. It becomes as addicting as sitting on the couch. I always had energy to eat and move from the couch to the fridge and then back to the couch. And i look back and realized it was my choice to live like that.

    Aside from work I volunteer for a lot of things in the community. It keeps me busy and away from the couch and the fridge. Go visit someone because at least it gets you moving. I have two living rooms. I used to sit in both of them.. One of them is now a gym and so the only sitting in there i do is on a machine or the floor for exercises. The other one has no tv in it so I rarely go in there. There arent even any tvs in my bedrooms any more. There is one -- in the gym .

    It all boils down to a choice. Do you want to lose weight and get in shape or do you want to stay as you are?
  • bellachops101
    bellachops101 Posts: 27 Member
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    try a dvd (exercise not disney(: ) while you wait for your hubby to finnish work, maybe
    i could never find the time for exerciswe and then i just decided to schedual it in and make the time and now i crack wobblies big time if i cant get to the gym or do something at home, its a major dummy spit from me till i can get at least a little acitivty into my day (:

    This is the point that I want to get to really, where I am so used to doing it that I can't imagine not doing it. I was like that about 10 years ago, used to go to the gym after work every single day no matter how I felt. I aslo have a problem with my breathing at the moment which is a bit of a vicious circle. It has been caused by anxiety which I know will be lessened by exercise but when I am struggling to breath (which is happening every day at the moment) then exercise is the last thing I want to do. I just need to follow your guys advice I think and get it done before I do anything else and the I can relax guit free and I need to remember why I am doing all this. Thanks everyone x

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