[smartypants]

OK, I someone please motivate me to workout. I don't know what it is lately, but I cannot seem to motivate myself to get off of my booty and do it. I won't give any excuses, beacause let's face it, there aren't any. Can anyone who keeps up with their routine regularly tell me how they keep themselves motivated when you just don't feel like working out????

[Misti in Seattle]

To be honest, I don't think motivation is the key... but rather making a DECISION to do it whether you feel motivated or not. Like getting up and going to work... I don't often feel motivated; I just DO it rather than face the consequences. It can help to just start with smaller goals... not something overwhelming but just do something and do it regularly.

[kykaree]

Exactly, I agree with Misti. If I waited til I was motivated to exercise, I'd never do it.

It's now just something I do. I find for me the keys are:

Planning - schedule your exercise in for the week - I do my planning on Sunday
Variety - I swim, do general gym, run, yoga, pilates and weight train
Accountability - use us here, or a friend, or your local gym, and make people aware of what you are doing so you can be held accountable
Fun factor - I do stuff that I don't find fun (like running - which I do because it burns a lot of calories and I want to like it ) mixed with stuff I love like yoga and swimming

I workout in one form or another every day. Now it's become an important and enjoyable part of my life, and motivation is there, but there are still days when I don't really want to do it, but I just do it anyway and get it over with

[Ilene]

From this thread I found this post:

Originally Posted by funniegrrl

Let me challenge you to think about this in a little different way. Forget about "motivation." First of all, no one here can give you motivation -- it has to be something you give yourself. Second, motivation is an emotion that comes and goes. Even if you were to get motivated to put down the knitting and hit the treadmill, that motivation isn't going to last forever.

Getting healthy -- whether you are talking about eating, or exercise, or whatever -- is about committment. You decide that this is what you are going to do, regardless of whether or not you "feel like it" on any given day. Decide on a reasonable exercise schedule, put it on your calendar, and do it. You do it because it's time to do it, not because you'd rather do it than anything else.

I don't show up for work every day because I'd rather be at the office than at the local coffeeshop with a bagel and a crossword puzzle. I do it because I have to. Same with brushing my teeth, taking out the garbage, writing checks to the landlord. There are consequences if I don't. I don't ENJOY these things, I don't feel "motivated" to do them, but I do them nonetheless.

There may come a day -- I HOPE there comes a day -- where you enjoy exercise for its own sake. But, until that day comes, you have to make up your mind that it is simply something you are going to do because you need to do it.

Says it ALL

[kms7z]

i often "make" myself put on my running shoes and remind myself of how good i will feel AFTER i run. once i have the shoes on, it's hard to stop myself.