what motivates you to go that extra further when exercising?

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JessDorian
JessDorian Posts: 34
in Fitness and Exercise
What keeps you going, makes you go that bit further? Music is a massive help for me, zoning out and just listening to the beats.i love iron maiden, silverchair, megadeath and gorillaz. Running to the music and forgetting everything from the day!

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  • LesliePierceRN
    LesliePierceRN Posts: 860 Member
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    I was just talking to one of my Warriors about this last night.. He and I are a lot alike, we are designed to push ourselves rather than step off.. it's harder for us to take a rest day than to push ourselves. I am just driven to find my limits, and I hit the wall regularly, just to see where it is.. and the more I hit it, the further away it becomes. I am not satisfied just doing the workouts, I need to know where my limits are so that I can push them. I would rather hit the wall and know I did everything that I could rather than stop just short and wonder if I could have given just a little more. So, the answer to the question for me is this: I motivate me to go that extra further because nothing else satisfies.
  • arickim
    arickim Posts: 137
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    I just love the treadmill:) and have to make myself get off of it.
  • phillieschic
    phillieschic Posts: 615
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    I'm a complete dork but I won't get off the treadmill if the distance, calories or time end on an odd number. LOL...OCD much, right?

    I play mind games with myself. It actually pushes me to keep going. I feel so much more satisfied if I've burned 500 calories instead of stopping at 497 just because I reached 3 miles.

    I am a fitness dork!
  • Runningirl7284
    Runningirl7284 Posts: 274 Member
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    Definitely music to pump me up I work out to the beat it makes me run faster that's for sure. I also look around the gym at all the super fit people and it motivates me to work out harder so I can be just as fit!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    I'm a complete dork but I won't get off the treadmill if the distance, calories or time end on an odd number. LOL...OCD much, right?
    I do this too! If not a round number, then a balanced one, like 333!

    I also ask myself which bit is giving up? Are my legs OK? Check. Breathing? Check. Then no reason to stop!
  • woman1961
    woman1961 Posts: 23
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    just the fact that i need to loose weight and be a healthier me motivates me to push myself to go further and harder then i use to when exercising:glasses:
  • BlondeToast
    BlondeToast Posts: 38
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    My HRM!
  • Kassieisproud
    Kassieisproud Posts: 149
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    Proving to myself that im stronger than i think
  • mama2shi
    mama2shi Posts: 300 Member
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    I will talk to myself (in my head, not out loud lol) and say things like "you won't get into that bathing suit if you're a quitter" or I see a really fit and strong woman in the gym working out and tell myself she didn't get there by giving up when it got tough. I also visualize what I want to look like and it keeps me going.
  • eschwab855
    eschwab855 Posts: 258 Member
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    Music music music if its Ozzy or the Marshal Tucker Band I just freaking love Pandora radio. When I first started this I was sure the arc trainer and my Iphone were out to kill me. Metallica Radio would just make my legs go faster and faster thought I was going to die lol
  • Ruger2506
    Ruger2506 Posts: 309 Member
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    On the treadmill........... Honestly I just envision my heart banging away and my muscles creating more mitochondrial DNA. I'm in cardiac medicine so knowing all the physiology that's going on pushes me to drive harder knowing the positive effects of exercise. That and envisioning me with a slimmer body water skiing this summer.
  • sarafit926
    sarafit926 Posts: 62 Member
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    I'm a complete dork but I won't get off the treadmill if the distance, calories or time end on an odd number. LOL...OCD much, right?
    I do this too! If not a round number, then a balanced one, like 333!

    I also ask myself which bit is giving up? Are my legs OK? Check. Breathing? Check. Then no reason to stop!

    I like that! I'm going to start doing a self-check before I quit :)
  • sarafit926
    sarafit926 Posts: 62 Member
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    On the treadmill........... Honestly I just envision my heart banging away and my muscles creating more mitochondrial DNA. I'm in cardiac medicine so knowing all the physiology that's going on pushes me to drive harder knowing the positive effects of exercise. That and envisioning me with a slimmer body water skiing this summer.

    Haha I was a Biology TA last year -- love the mitochondrial DNA reference. I'll keep thinking about that now...so cool!
  • mickyjd
    mickyjd Posts: 97
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    My HRM!

    THIS :)
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    I set a goal before I start. If I'm strength training I have a list of what I'm going to do and how much. If I'm running I decide on either a time or a distance before I start. When I start to feel like I want to quit before I've completed my list I just tell myself "Really? You're going to quit right now when you've only got X left to go? What a punk" And then I respond to myself "Fvck you! I'm not a punk. I'll finish this sht" And then I finish what I intended to do and feel great.

    When I'm running I'll just keep pushing until I've reached my pre-determined time or distance (because I don't want me calling myself a punk) and if I'm still feeling good I'll set a new goal and keep going until I'm shot or until I run out of time and have to stop.
  • JenGranzow
    JenGranzow Posts: 116 Member
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    I'm doing ChaLean Extreme right now, and honestly, when she says things like "Tell yourself you are going to push 10% harder", or "What are you made of?", that motivates me to work even harder. I also try to beat my calorie burn for particular workouts - so I will check what I burned the last time I did it and bust *kitten* to kill it this time.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    My HRM!

    THIS :)

    Same here :)
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    I set a target before hand. If I say I'm going to do it I AM going to do it.
  • VinVenture
    VinVenture Posts: 290
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    Music and numbers. Not just even/odd or balanced ones, but higher than my own previous ones. I can lift more/run longer/hold the plank just a few more moments, just one more rep, if it means I beat my old record. I don't listen to music when I lift, but squeezing tight your grip/pushing 'down' your feet really helps push the muscles just one step further.

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