Still can't get into the habit of exercising!!
 

I am still not exercising like I need to. :( I know that exercise will be the best thing for me. I always feel better when I do. But I can't get motivated to exercise. I need some help at exercising. My hubby is super supportative of me and encourages every day! Anyone got some suggestions on how to get and stay motivated?

Is there something you like to do that isn't really "exercise"?
Maybe walking your dog, dancing, or swimming?

For me, it's not about motivation at all. I just do it anyway, even when I don't want to. I never regret it when I'm done, but I do regret it when I skip a day. I get it done in the morning because I'm more likely to stick with it then.

I'm a runner, and I find that registering for some sort of race, even just a 5K, every month helps give me that extra push to get out the door. I always want a new personal best time at races, so getting my training in helps.

Could you set up some sort of reward for yourself?

Do you work? As people often say on here, it's not about MOTIVATION, it's about COMMITMENT.

I am rarely MOTIVATED to get up in the morning and go to work. However, I am COMMITTED! Because the alternative is not an option.

I apply the same to exercise.

Trust me I hear ya on this one...

BUT... If I waited to feel motivated to exercise... I would be lucky to make it out the door more than once a week :D

So for me the less I think about it the better... I just throw on some workout cloths, slip on my running shoes, and it's out the door... And at first I think it's best to not get overly concerned with how much, how far, how fast... Just getting moving is its own reward... And if it's only ten minutes or five minutes or 2 minutes... Who Cares? It's better than NO minutes in my book... And if the weather is crappy out... Well then it's time to jump on the treadmill... or do an exercise video... or whatever... Whatever works for you...

I can come up with a million excuses not to exercise... But if I really think about it rationally, if I'm well enough to get out of bed, then I'm well enough to at least get some sort of exercise... regardless of whether I'm feeling motivated or not...

If you don't find a form of exercise you enjoy, you will likely never be able to consistently find the motivation to get up and do it.

I personally love to work out, but I also despise a TON of different exercises that I refuse to do (like jogging, most cardio machines, group fitness with loud peppy music and loud peppy instructors, etc). Try everything and if you don't like something, don't do it. Drudging though an exercise you hate really isn't going to do much to help make fitness a priority.

I do mostly stuff that I think is fun, makes me feel strong and powerful, and/or helps me enjoy the outdoors. My favorites are dance, yoga, hiking, weight lifting, hula hooping, biking, swimming, sprints, kayaking, and cross country skiing.

Plus, working out makes me feel awesome, seems to help blunt my appetite, and helps me stick to a healthy diet in order to get the proper fuel and for muscle building/recovery.

i treat it the same as anything else that's a priority for me, such as work, doctor visits, etc...it must be done, like it or not

sometimes i bargain with myself, like "i'll just go and get my gear on and then decide what i'll do at the gym" or "you can go and walk super slow on the treadmill and decide if you want to run or not"....and just take that pressure off me and always when i get there and get going, habit seems to kick in and i'll get my running done

or i tell myself, just get through the running warm ups and decide if you still feel like running...and honestly sometimes i'm exhausted and just plain refuse to run...and then i'll walk at a fast pace for an hour instead...but i'm there, getting a workout done regardless

2 more things:

Find a way to make a workout a firm part of your schedule or a way you know you will be held accountable for working out. You could sign up for a group class that you know is a certain time on a certain day, if you have paid for a class you would probably be more likely to go. Or you could make fitness dates with friends. If I schedule a hike or bike ride with a friend and they get excited about it, I know I won't be able to back out.

A big thing that helps is making exercise a habit. I've read that it takes 3-4 weeks to turn any behavior into a habit, so force yourself to workout a certain number of days per week for a month and then after that time frame is up hopefully it will stick.

It's not about motivation, I agree with Nike. You schedule it in like a doctor's appointment or anything else and then do it. Many times I find myself not wanting to go out for a run. But you just do it anyway and within a couple of minutes I'm soooooo glad I'm out there.

Something I used to do when I exercised in the morning. I put my sneakers on right away, even if I was planning on lounging around for a cup of coffee first. I'd often find too many excuses not to go but once I had my shoes on I'd feel like a total idiot taking them off without going for my exercise.

Also, everyday I read my signature, below.