Hi all!

Just wondering if any of you have any really inspiring methods to get motivated to exercise??

Don't get me wrong, I love exercising, and I definitely know the benefits (physical and otherwise) of regular exercise, but some days it is just so hard to convince myself to get off the couch.

I love being at the gym, and going for a run, it's just the "getting there" part that is the problem for me...I find myself procrastinating in unusual ways. I will clean my whole apartment, and do all my laundry before I will run out to the car and head to the gym?? By the time I am done procrastinating I haven't left myself time to go.

The whole buddy system worked well for me before, but I don't have a gym buddy now, and I find myself slacking...

I know that it is a matter of prioritizing, but does anyone have any helpful suggestions on how to motivate myself to put my exercise before anything else?

Cheers,

KC

First thing I try to do is workout in the morning if at all possible. I find that the later in the day it gets, the less of a chance I'll want to workout.

On the weekends if I'm not feeling motiviated, I watch a video that gets me going. For me that means watching a recorded video of the Hawaiian Ironman or watching Michael Johnson break the world record in the 200 meters at the Atlanta Olympics.

If you can afford it, try a personal trainer. My wife does this through her gym.

Good luck,

Mark

I use the "dog method" for cardio. Dog looks expectantly at you and asks to be walked/ran. Dog whines every time you put on shoes. Dog gets weird if not walked/run regularly. Pretty simple motivation! (Dog can be borrowed from neighbor if you don't have your own. You might even get paid for this service.)

Otherwise, I make it part of my schedule. I say, okay, I'm hitting the weight room after work on MWF, and so I won't be home until 6:00 and that's just the way it is. Like brushing my teeth or doing dishes or something else very routine. It's just on my schedule and so I do it.
I also find that if I just promise to do it for five minutes, and then I can quit if I want, that I have never wanted to quit. The instant I'm warmed up, I feel great and want to go on.

HTH!

Do it in the morning if at all possible....before your shower even. Just roll out of bed and GO. If that means you gotta wake up at 4:45, then wake up at 4:45. Get it out of the way.

And like Raz said, make it part of your schedule. It's just a non-negotiable thing in your life....like paying bills or going to work. This is a promise you made to yourself and you are the LAST person who should let you down!!

When I was going to a gym a few years ago, I would go directly there from work so that I couldn't get sidetracked or procrastinate going there. I don't know if that's feasible for you though. Also, now when I exercise, I start as soon as I get in from work, no excuses.

I do my cardio first thing in the AM, knowing that I must do it and that the longer I sit in bed, the longer I must stay at work because of how late I will arrive. After work, I have scheduled lifting on 3 days. I come straight home, change my clothes (work clothes I leave laid out on the bed so I don't waste time hanging them up and getting trapped cleaning the closet or something), grab my gym bag and go right back out the door. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 - no checking messages, getting the mail or anything. I might stop and pet the cat a couple of times, but that's it. If the cat has trashed something (overturned a plant, unrolled all the TP, flung litter across entire living room, coughed up a hairball on the couch) I assess the damage and how much it will increase if I don't clean it before I go. Honestly, that's the only thing I do before I go right back out the door.

I like little mind games like...okay I'll go to the gym and just stretch...okay now that I'm here I may as well do some cardio...just 5 minutes though...wait I'll read this magazine while I do my cardio...hey its been 10 minutes and I'm feeling really good now so I'm sure 15 minutes won't be a problem etc. etc. You get the drift.

Also, since my gym is at my work I can go to work in gym clothes meaning I at least have to go into the gym to change!

Good luck,

Lisa