Exercise-what motivates you to do it?

[ipikak]

Someone else has posted this before but it has helped me no end when my motivation is at an all time low....and I hope that it can help someone else...

MOTIVATION - "Be Great, Powerful Beyond Measure" - Best Inspirational Video Ever [Original] - YouTube

it really pushes me to keep going.

 

[chocolate_bananas]

The way i feel afterwards motivates me to exercise...i have to remember that feeling when i just can't be bothered! I think the secret is to make it a habit, then you miss it when you don't do it. When i really don't want to exercise i just promise myself that i'll do the warm up, then i can stop, only twice have i ever stopped.

I also think it helps to set challenges for yourself for fitness and measurments, not just the number on the scale. For example, completing the 30DS, or my next one is to complete the 6 week 6 pack programme by Jillian Michaels starting in the 1st September, hoping to trim at least an inch off my waist at the end of it!

Once you get into the habit then stop, it's quite difficult to get back into it, that's another reason that keeps me on track. I didn't do any exercise for 12 days when i had my wisdom teeth out earlier this month, then i had to FORCE myself to just do it, and i found it physically so tough, took me a good week to feel up to my usual fitness...i won't let that happen again!

 

[blossums]

Just came back to this thread as was feeling a bit resistant to excercising today and want to nip that in the bud - I think it may because I was out all day yesterday and so didn't do any

Reading here has helped me feel more motivated again
cheers
x

 

[meoww]

I aim for 3 gym sessions a week, I warm up with some uphill walking then lift some weights and end with pilates. I am building up muscle, being female it naturally is harder to gain muscle so I have no fears of looking like a bodybuilder by accident. all the extra muscle mass increases my metabolism and helps me recover from naughty weekends etc. I also feel strong and look toned.

 

[Eli]

Getting better and fitter motivates me the most.. Even if it's just one more repeat than last time, i feel good! I was quite fit before, but stopped all exercising for four months and ate rubbish..result: I can't believe how unfit a person can be! So have to start from beginning, but I'll get there. Also Slimpod exercise track motivates me

 

[BarbaraG]

My health is my motivator - I have type 2 diabetes, and exercise improves lots of the issues associated with that, independently of weight loss. I was also starting to get less and less mobile, and wanted to stave off the mobility scooter!

I started going to the gym in January - I committed to 3x per week as I felt that was an achievable level I could maintain. The first couple of months I had to use various psychological tricks to get myself there when I didn't feel like it. I had been reading a book about willpower and how habits are made and changed, and I used what was in there to help me.

Then a few months in, I started to enjoy it for its own sake. I enjoy the feeling of strength in my body, the sense of achievement - and it helps me relax as well. So now, exercise is "me time", which is great, because it means it's not an effort to do it, even though I can work quite hard when I'm there. The past couple of months I've added running once a week (well, mostly walking - building up gradually). We had our main holiday in the Lake District a few weeks ago, and did walks I would not have been capable of six months ago.

So what keeps me going.....

1) I enjoy the feeling of wellbeing and achievement.

2) Diabetes much better controlled, and also medication levels reduced

3) much more mobile and energetic, with less stiffness and joint pain

4). Gone from being a big amorphous blob to a large woman-shaped person!

OK, so it's impossible to say how much of these changes is due directly to the exercise and how much just to the weight loss. But I probably wouldn't have lost so much weight without the exercise, so it's a moot point.

Barbara

 

[1978Emma]

its about finding what suits you, some people like the gym, others like to run, swim, jog what have you for me its walking, I do alot of walking at least 2 x 45 min to 1 hour walks a day and sometimes 3 x 45 min to 1 hour walks a day in the lovely weather. I find having a young border collie dog is my kick up the backside, shes basically a hairy personal trainer come rain or shine she wants me out walking her over the local moors or in the countryside somewhere, I can't say no to her so she helps to get me out there doing it plus when I started off walking I went much slower and on the level and now I can cover so much more ground, walk much quicker, have so much more energy and take in slopes etc and that in itself is so rewarding. Em