Pondering - exercise and motivation

I shall be watching this thread with interest to see if anyone has the answer ?

I don't find it difficult to go to classes but if I'm going out for a training walk it can take days to psyche me up for it.

Today I was all ready to go to the gym, looking forward to it, but when I got there I was crap and rubbish ☹️

I don't have the answer. I am exactly the same. I love the buzz from exercising, but most the time I have to really gee myself up to do it. I am already thinking about how hot and difficult my sesh this evening will be. ?

I have this- I am always very keen to go to the gym and look forward to it immensely. I think it's at least partly because it's the only time I don't have at least one child to look after though (as they go in the creche), so I have double motivation.

Even the thought of being childless for an hour or more doesn't entice me to go to the gym, it's very weird how we all differ isn't it? I think you really have to enjoy what you do.

I look forward to my netball every week and have no trouble going but it's a bit of a social thing aswell as exercise I suppose. The gym I will always struggle with.

I think there's something about doing exercise because you 'should' or because you actually enjoy it.

I don't do exercise, as such, but I do walk the dogs for 1-2 hours at least 4 days a week (Mr Boop does the other days). I get genuine enjoyment out of doing it - it's not a chore or something I feel I 'should' do. For Mr Boop, though, it's much closer to being in the same category as your thoughts about going for a run - he'll enjoy it while he's out there but he doesn't look forward to it and he has to force himself to do it some days. He'll often come back and say what a lovely walk it was - but that doesn't seem to transfer itself over to looking forward to the next one.

I used to be like this, and still would be if I was going to the gym or running. But I've recently discovered swimming and so far I can't wait to go, I'm always looking forward to the next time and wanting to get there as quickly as possible after work... Maybe it's that I've found the exercise that's perfect for me or maybe it's just because I'm working towards a goal..? I doubt there's any right answer!!

Boop, I think you've got a point there. I love running but it's the first time in my life I have really enjoyed exercise - school put me off it totally and I think that mindset remains - so although I love it, part of me still sees it as something I "have to" do and that's the part that's resistant to it.

Plus of course I do have to do it - I'd be the size of a house if I didn't ?

I think that I'll never enjoy exercise or be really motivated to do it. I have been going to the gym about three times a week for about six weeks now and I never feel that I want to go. Neither do I feel any better particularly afterwards - aside from the satisfaction of having been. I don't feel better physically for it.

I decided to do Race for Life this year and so am gearing up for that. I also know that I am hideously unfit and I want to tone up and lose a bit of weight.

I suppose there is a small amount of satisfaction of things getting easier to do / pushing myself to do more but I can't see that I'll ever look forward to going.........especially as it's been six weeks and I haven't lost any weight at all ?

That' s it then, isn't it? You're doing it as a means to an end, not because you actually really enjoy it. If a genie waved a magic wand and said that from now on you could eat and drink whatever you wanted but you'd never put on weight, would you still exercise, purely for the enjoyment? It seems like your motiviation is that it gives you the freedom to indulge one of your other passions rather than exercise for exercise's sake - although you might find you're more addicted than you realise.

When I was really in to running I mostly looked forward to going. I used to think about it constantly and turned down nights out (!) so I could run (or be in a fit state to run the next morning). I know I can feel that way again by running 3 times a week for a couple of months yet I can't get myself out of the door.

I definitely would still do it if it weren't for the eating thing, I enjoy it hugely and get really ratty if I don't go ?

Exercise = chore is just so ingrained in my mind, I think.

I'm like this.

I did one of my Tae Bo DVDs today and really enjoyed it. I did a hard one 2 days ago and absolutely adored it. BUT I still didn't really want to do it today.

I think, in the back of my mind, I was thinking about all the jobs I wanted to get done today as well as having some time to relax and the fact that I'm working a 10 hour shift later today.

When I did my session 2 days ago, I was looking forward to it and couldn't wait to get started, that day, though Erin was at nursery all day and I had the day to myself and didn't have loads of other things planned.

Not sure whether I would exercise if I didn't have to. I think, in an ideal world, I would have more opportunities to be generally active (as I was in my pre baby, younger days) so would only need to do formal exercise if I really wanted to.

Interesting topic. In answer to your question of does one ever get over the internal debate - sadly, I think the answer is no!

For me, the most effective way to short cut the debate is to do the difficult sessions first thing in the morning, that way I don't have time to let the inner voice start sabotaging me ? If I leave it until the evening then I have all day to make up excuses as to why I don't want to do it. And this is from someone extremely motivated, I love to exercise - and just as well as I am training for an Ironman & working out 9 times a week, so I bloody better had do ?

I frequently make a deal with myself that I only have to do ten minutes - the "toxic ten" and if I'm still unhappy, I can stop. I never do, though. If I don't exercise I won't hit my goals, I won't be able to compete as I want to compete and I will be the grumpiest, mardiest cow alive so I can't let the inner whinger win!

The feeling of my thighs meeting in the middle motivates me to exercise ?

The old cliche about incorporating it into your routine works for me. In my old job I commuted a lot and would find it hard to drag myself to the gym after a 12 hr day and a couple of hundred miles driving. Now I work nearby I cycle to and from work, so I've done 35 mins exercise a day without even trying really. And I walk for half an hour at lunchtime. There isn't much else to do at lunch and a bunch of us go for a stroll every day.

It's strange. I am happy to walk everywhere, and loathe getting in the car. But when it comes to running... ewwww!!! Even thought I know I love it afterwards, and get that post-exercise buzz! I only manage 6 miles a week at the moment, and really want to do a half marathon next year, so will have to frame myself. I think the problem is that I live on the peak of a really big hill, so have this to contend with at the end of the run. It makes me feel sick! I also have asthma, which is well managed, but set off by seasonal change, so dry hot days and windy winter days hurt a lot. If it was flat terrain and spring all year round, I'd have the body of Nell McAndrew. As it is, I have my lumps and bumps, which are only kept under check by the walking and running... so at this point it becomes a means to an end, as Boop suggested. I hated being a chunky monkey (lost 2 1/2 stone a few years ago) and have no desire to go back there!

Yeah, I have to get straight out of bed, get dressed and go running. That way I'm already doing it before I've properly woken up.

I find that varying my routine keeps me motivated. I don't run, but I do go to the gym and also cycle to the station - which forces me to exercise on a work day.

When I go to the gym - I do different things every time. If I did the same old thing, then I'd get bored. I go through phases though. For instance, I was really into swimming for a bit, but haven't been for a while. I might give that another go again next week when the kids have gone back to school.

Also nice motivating music on my iPod helps a lot!

I do enjoy exercise and have started more recently to look forward to going either because I'm seeing the results or as it's a little bit social.

I agree with AliLindsey, def a varied routine helps. I do Mon badminton, Wed body attack, Fri gym, Sat body pump, Sun circuit walk/jog. The classes are fab at keeping me working hard and motivated. The gym session is more linked with my race for life next week although the other activities have so built my fitness up that I do enjoy it more as I can go further for longer.

The only way I can persuade myself to exercise and be motivated is to have a goal - at the moment I am training for a trialthon and once this is over I am moving onto a 10km. I am quite geeky and keep an excel spreasheet of my weight, measurements & times so I can see the improvment which keeps me motivated. Last year when I wasn't training for anything I went to the gym 50 times in a year, this year I exercise at least 4 times a week. I also had to change when I was training to make myself more motivated.

Well timed pondering. Today i should really have gone for a run with H, but decided not to. Basically because it was sunny. *shrug*. Pathetic. But, at the moment I'm just a beginner, so find it hard to run every day and I really look forward to a run after work. Feels fab to clear my head and stretch my legs after sitting on my arse all day. So I will go out on Monday (promise!)

I'm with PUP here, I have been running for 2 and a half years and the internal debate is always there, however I know I enjoy running and if I don't go or miss a few sessions if on holiday I really start missing it and can't wait to get out again. But day to day it may not always be top of my list of things I want to do. I vary what I do, play netball, do 2 claases of hot yoga and 3 runs a week. Got a half marathon in 2 weeks and like PUP said doing the haredest sessions first thing in the morning is definitely the best way. This weekend I suffered as went out on Friday drinking which meant I was in no state to get uo for my 18k run Saturday morning! So decided to do it in the evening, and had to go even though it was raining and I had a hangover. Should have stayed in Friday!

Having a goal definitely helps, but also sometimes puts you under more pressure as you know you HAVE to go. And again like POP I tell myself I'm try a small amount (like 2 laps round my park) but once I'm there I never stop.

I've never understood why our brains work like this. You know you're going to feel better after exercise so why do our brains do everything they can to make us feel it's a bad idea?

Hi English, ? good luck with your 1/2.

glad it's not just me that can't help boozing & has to run with a hangover ? its just not good is it??

I realyl hat going to the gym with a passion and the only ay I get there is if I have an appointment with a personal trainer. Last week I had one-to-one circuits and was clock watching the entire time. It killed me and I had aching for two days afterwards. I am trying to loose weight and at the moemtn I am doing 5 sessions a week (4 PT sessions and one class) and in 5 weeks I've lost a big fat zero on the scales, I am so demotivated it's not funny but I know it's because I'm still eating far too many carbs. This week it's going to be a killer - 5 PT sessions and salads all week - nice. So why do I do it? Because I don't want to end up looking like my sisters and brother (who are all hidesously over-weight) and I have a beach holiday in 8 weeks time and I don't want to look like a beached whale when I sunbathe.

i think my problems stems from being forced to do PT when I was in the army and I was dragged kicking and screaming to the gym every morning for parade, I also hated PE at school as well. I'm trying to find some enjoyment in it, but it's really hard, I see it as a means to an end but I'm always battling my inner demon which tells me to cancel my appointments everday

? I'm super impressed you're doing the Iron Man btw! Dare I ask what the 9 training sessions are a week? I'm considering training for a triathlon next, just to break up the running a little. Do you think runners can train reasonably ok for triathlons? My weak area would be swimming but going to look for a swimming coach I think.

Another thing that seems to happen to me, is if I'm doing a run after work my body will do everything in the day to make me think a)I'm coming down with something or b)I've got a muscle twinge! Seriously I'll be walking home and I'll have pain in my foot or ankle or something or a sore throat. But as soon as I get out to the park miraculously I'm fine!

To answer my earlier question, I think the reason we do have the internal debate is because our brains know we have to suffer in order to feel good afterwards. If exercise was easy and you could make a difference without having to work hard then I'm sure we wouldn't have the debate.