To be honest i can find myself a MILLION reasons not to work out if i give myself time to think about it. I have always been off and on with the gym, but now that i find some of my pants a bit tight... Im determined to work out. I found that bringing my clothes with my to work and then hitting the gym RIGHT after rather then going home to relax first, helps me get my butt moving. My bf is also VERY encouraging and tells me how hot i look... even after only a week haha... when i work out.


thats what motivates me

Hi Amy,

I HATE exercise!!! But you've just gotta do it! I have only found two ways to get myself moving, that work over the longer term.

Number 1, you need an exercise buddy of some sort. It works best if you only exercise when the other person does too - maybe take turns to drive to the gym (if you drive of course!) Also, try if you can to find someone who needs to exercise even more than you do! That way, if you don't do it, you'll be letting your buddy down. Helping other people is usually much more motivational than helping yourself.

The second one is "don't exercise, play" - which means please find a sport you can enjoy. Tennis, badminton, etc are good starters, because you can play against someone who's at the same fitness level as you. Maybe as you progress there's a ladies softball team you can join? If you get into the sport, you'll be exercising without realising it, rather than just watching the clock and the distance on the treadmill - that kills me!

How about line dancing - you do that for a couple of hours, you'll be exercising without knowing it!

Good luck and don't give up!

Zander

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Not to go all Nike on you or anything but if I just get off my butt and DO IT. Whether I want to or not. If Im tired, hungover, sad, feeling lazy..whatever. I just do it without thinking too much. The only thoughts Id have would be excuses as to how I could make up for it later, or why its ok to not excercise, etc. So I just do it and even if Im miserable at first, I quickly feel better about it. Even if I only do a LITTLE excercise, im glad I got off of my butt.

Yep! Totally agree with this. I don't have to go to a job out of the home, but I get back to get THREE children ready for school. I wake up every morning at 510 am and briskly walk 4 miles. Get the kids ready and to school. Grab a little to eat and then we are at the gym 3 days a week by 930 am for an hour if one of my favorite classes is being offered. It SUCKS getting up so early, but I've come to really enjoy the solitude of that time of morning. I do a lot of thinking and pondering about life and goals during that time(once I wake up) and I find that it sets my whole day right since I'm revved up when I'm done. I'm actually getting a little sad that I probably only have a few more weeks before the mornings are too cold to walk in anymore and I'll have to go to the bright, loud gym first thing instead. Anyway, the point is, making it a habit is essential and at first you have to prepare the 'excuses away' to make it easier. Like was said, lay out your clothes, keep your water bottle filled and cool in the fridge, and use the couch as your reward when you are all done instead. Definitely exercise wherever and whenever you can...this too is my habit now. I could not go to the gym the last few days with just me and the kids. I took my walk when they were first asleep, I jumped on their trampoline when I could, and I did a lot of yard and housework. Pull a jumprope out just for the hey of it and get moving. Start seeing the fun in being active and you forget that you are burning calories in the process.

I don't discount what you are saying at all. We are all on this forum for a reason-we were/are overweight. It is very hard to get started, but once you do and the rewards are reaped and you maybe even start enjoying activity, it's well worth it!

It sounds like in your mind, working out is a big drag that you wish you didn't have to do. If you feel like that, it's very hard to get started. We all procrastinate, and with exercising it's very easy to, because there are no direct immediate consequences.

I had to change the way i thought about it. After having a super stressful day, I want to get rid of all that extra frustration. I've realized that exercising is a really great way to do that! I get rid of all my built up anxiety and stress and get to blow of some steam. If I'm mad at a coworker, I just push myself really hard on my stationary bike and I feel much better.

So to sum it up, you want exercising to be more than some chore you have to do to reach a vague goal (look skinny, hot, feel good months down the line). you'll never do it that way... because if you arnt going to see any results for months, whats the harm in putting it off another day? Find something that it gives you immediately, be it alone time, a chance to think, a way to bond with your dogs, blow off stress - so that each time you'll do it you'll feel great AND look forward to it everyday. After that it becomes just a natural part of your schedule - during most stressful, hectic days at work, I can't wait to get home all by myself and get a good workout in!

I have heard from a couple different places that you can create a habit if you do something everyday for 21 days.

I can't say if this is true or not - but it motivated me to hit the gym regularily...and after the 21 days I still go to the gym regularily.

So I don't know if there is any science behind it, all i know is the idea kept me motivated for at least 21 days..and then after that a lot of my self doubt had been erased and I am now a regular gym member.

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I now see fear, doubt and worry for what they truly are; imagined catastrophes.
-Justin Popovic-