Motivation for Exercise

[Godwin]

For the motivation You should have goals
or there's no reason to workout and no way to select the best exercises in developing you program. So, for motivation, you will have create some goals. Then, you have a place to begin and you can start working on your program and then worry about motivation.

[Xan]

My motivation for exercise is it makes me feel good... at the time and throughout my daily life.


Xan

[hse1pbe]

Yeah, goals are good. When I started exercising regularly, my goal was simply to loose a couple pounds. It turns out that I actually enjoy exercising! Who would have thought that running is fun, haha. Not me! (Until I tried it.)

[Henri77]

It gets to be an addiction over time.
One that you really miss ,and feel in your body.. if you get lazy...
I've walked 2-4 miles daily the last 25 years, and stretch EVERY day of my life. If I miss it I feel like i've aged 3 days.

Even light stretches, movement is better than none.

[Spiritlite]

I'm with Henri, I do swimming and yoga and jogging and if I'm out of my routine for more than a week I do feel like I'm a lot older and crankier, emotionally it really helps me too.
Spiritlite.

[Lightspirit]

I am motivated, I do 7 sit ups a week and walk to the letterbox each day if I need it or not, it takes commitment you cant slacken off lol.

[Osian]

Standing in front of the mirror naked can be good motivation for some. :D

Smart goals are a good way of making progress, just make sure they are healthy and realistic. The result is the motivation.

[Mayflow]

I am motivated, I do 7 sit ups a week and walk to the letterbox each day if I need it or not, it takes commitment you cant slacken off lol.

I should try that walking to the letterbox every day thing--- well my mailbox is a half mile from my house.

Well, to me, I think doing exercise for the enjoyment is the best motivator, and I really do love walking.

Money is also a motivator. Our health insurance at work said they will give us $20 a month if when they measure us on May 23 we below a BMI of 25. I am at about 25.5 - I will get to probably 24 and have fun doing it!

If you want to know your BMI you can divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply the resultant by 703.

[Nyananda]

I should go back to running, it always makes me feel better. I stopped running ever since I left school, August 10th and started working again. My job is really robbing a lot of my energy. I just feel so exhausted after work... feel sloppy... Tomorrow I FINALLY have a day off, maybe I should lace up my running shoes again after a good night's sleep.
I used to be a streak runner. My motivation was the runner's high I would get from each run, the sensation lasting for hours. I really need to get back into the routine.

[Aden]

It really works, set your goals first than try your level best to achieve them. Stay motivated and keep moving. Exercise is key of fitness. Don't skip it. It allows you to achieve your fitness goals much faster.

[jaydonc]

It really works, set your goals first than try your level best to achieve them. Stay motivated and keep moving. Exercise is key of fitness. Don't skip it. It allows you to achieve your fitness goals much faster.


That is why are used to do exercise to stay fit.

[amy green]

For those who seem to lack sufficient motivation to stay on track (which includes myself), don't give yourself too hard a time if you miss a day. It's easy then to get on the slippery slope and lose staying power - telling yourself "oh I missed one day, so another day won't matter."

Rather to reinforce a determined approach of "so I missed one day but I'll be back on track tomorrow". To say "stay motivated" are easy words....perhaps remembering the beneficial effects would help galvanise a slackening, lazy mindset on this matter!
I would welcome more tips in how to stay motivated.

This post could also apply to dieting....yeah, yeah...don't get me started (or rather someone help get me started!) :icon_rolleyes:

[Search]

Motivation is something I never used to worry about in my younger day! Things kind of get a little different as you grow older. Your metabolism slows, your inner spirit can be weighted down with depression as new challenges arise that you thought never existed. It's a whole different ball game than it used to be, when you all had to do was let the seasons define you next bout.

Motivation for me is to connect with my body on a spiritual level. I have been pretty much an addict at everything! ... exercise is not different and it plays to the compulsion of the mind like any drugs.

Looks ... well I could care less for those before and after shots that depict the obese individual that transforms into the "look at me" flex, pose and clothes ... A mirror can be a good guide, but also play large to vanity ... such is no longer a tool for me.
_____________________________________________

Routine ... !!! Don't even think about how much your going to loose ... take solace in knowing how much you will gain!

To be able to breath again ... YEA!!! that would be something ... to actually smell the leaves and feel your skin come back to life! Then to actually SEE much clearer and even begin to hear again. Getting in touch with your body on a sensory level will open the door to detaching from your mind.

Having gone without such things we take for granted ... yet to feel once again alive in such a manner can set the catalyst one needs to establish a routine. This is pretty much where I am coming back to reclaim my body once last time!

Things such as DESIRE can burn deep within me and I generally have no off button when out for a run kicking back with whatever chemicals I am able to induce. I once had near renal failure and was scraped off the footpath by an ambulance. I rode myself into the ground until my blood was backed up with lactic acid that never got a rest. I was so addicted I actually smelt like acid. I am still effected as I now can smell myself if I don't eat right or drink enough water and get my sleep ... I was hospitalized for Seven days and almost lost my life!

Such is the power, the will on the opposite end of the scale. It's good to come back with the intention now to reclaim what my depression has taken away. I am going from suicide and complete resignation, to now just chipping away.

ROUTINE is what you want ... and knowing what is missed when you let your body waste away. To simply connect with other living things in a much more pleasant way. That's my motivation ... to start living again ... Too see, feel, hear and breath! That's my Motivation.

Best of luck with yours. :wink:

[John Elessar]

Very easy for me...all I have to do is look at the pics I have of my nieces on my refrigerator, and 15-30 minutes of hard pedaling on the stationary bike becomes a dead solid cinch. Don't want to be wheezing and puffing like my dad did in 20 years (i.e. when I'll be 70), I want to see them all off to living happy lives.

[Benjamin123]

Physical action avert you from infections, accommodate in weight getting in shape administration and preferable slumber, Exercise make you more blissful and more loose than you were before you worked out, the more calories you blaze, and make simpler to hold your weight under control....

[Chrysaetos]

I recommend doing a team sport, a little bit of competition and team spirit can give you that motivation to continue.

[Adler99]

Exactly some kind of motivation is really needed for Exercising,something which basically inspires you.
Make workout a part of your daily routine,try not to miss it.Eat healthy avoid junk food and fast food.Prefer having fruits and vegetables in your meal,That will help you in burning fats and will give you what you actually need it terms of physic.

[Tobi]

Just go for some jolly good long walks in the country. Get a map, (if you need one) park your car, go for a 10 mile circular walk. Don't worry about carrying all kinds of stuff with you. You will not need food, and if you drink before you go you won't need to keep drinking either, not for 10 miles, so don't bog yourself down with stuff to carry.
Enjoy your surroundings. Enjoy what you see, how you feel, how you smell the air. The creatures around you....
What more motivation do you need?
Oh and getting back to your car so you can go home for dinner is a good motivation to do the last 5 miles! :-D

[Belle]

Well, I've booked two holidays - several purposes in the holidays - but I do need to do something as one is a strenuous trek (Tour de Mont Blanc) - approx 90 mile walk round Mont Blanc - the other is a trek in Ecquador and some time in Peru.

So. Actions taken. Things that motivate me are investment - financial investment so I've found a cheap personal trainer, got myself a wii and a wii fit - all stuff preferable to the gym and let's see how that pans out.

I'm excited. i had intended to start getting fit (again) about 10 weeks ago but better now than next week.

Hope that i lose a few redundant pounds on the way.

[Joseph123]

One thing that I wanted to share: I, a couple of weeks ago, would have said something along the lines of, "I hate running, but I like how I feel afterwards."

This is no longer the case. I do not know if something internally changed or if it is only my perception, but I now actively love the normally very arduous process of running itself. I run very early in the morning in my rural area, on a rural road, when there are no cars nor people nor noise around. I have come to view running as a meditative experience. I am fully within the moment, feeling even the normally uncomfortable cold gusts of air against my face and the normally uncomfortable fatigue in my muscles.

And, of course, the feeling afterwards is wonderful. If one does exercise like this in the early morning, no matter what else occurs, one has already accomplished a great deal!

Further along these lines... I take showers that consist of running the coldest possible water all over my body for a few moments, then actually wash myself with warm water, and then run myself over with the cold once more. I then step out into the steamy and warm bathroom. I would urge everyone to try this because the physical benefits are astounding. However, obviously, the part involving the frigid water would normally be thought of as uncomfortable. I certainly thought it was until yesterday, when I had the realization that I ought to be relishing the jolting feeling. The very fact that I have the capability to feel such powerful sensations is sort of divine in and of itself. I now live fully within that moment and likewise enjoy it.

[Belle]

I'll pass I think on the cold showers but I do like the feeling of aching muscles plus the strange sensation of wanting to eat healthily having exercised. It quickly kicks in that your body is a machine that needs to be honoured.

That's really not normal!

[partofme]

Standing in front of the mirror naked can be good motivation for some. :D

Smart goals are a good way of making progress, just make sure they are healthy and realistic. The result is the motivation.


YES! This has become my motivator. :tongue:

[SpiritMachine]

- Great stress reliever (especially martial arts which are also spiritual for me)
- Body awareness and function
- Can be lots of fun!
- Health benefits of course (Not about looks for me though)

[Kenneath]

Hi Godwin,
For motivation in exercises set realistic goals and keep your workout journal to measure your progress. Keep experimenting, add fun in your workouts and note what works for you. Stay close to people who motivates you and have a supportive system.

[psychoslice]

Good advice Kenneath, I think when we enjoy life the most is when we are truly motivated to do anything, maybe some should find the answer to that question first.

[Softkitty83]

My motivation comes from working out with someone else who wants to workout. I also find I am more motivated to do the excessive in the morning.

[Tara_Joy]

I've often heard it said that motivation to exercise will do little without commitment, and I must agree. Commitment is a whole different level of motivation.

Before you seek motivation, it is good to really think about what type of commitment you are going to give to exercising. Make a real decision that you are going to exercise long term, not just focus on the short term. It helps me to select a reace (usually Triathlon) some months ahead. Then when I am close to that race date I select another one. For me this is the perfect mix of motivation and commitment/dedication.

Other things that help motivate me are books about inspirational athletes; The Long Run, Born to Run, a Life Without Limits, etc.

And finally, have that realization of how amazing and miraculous your body is really motivates me! Once you realize that your body can do even more than you realize, it is a huge rush of motivation!

Best of luck to all that are on a journey for better health :)

[Belle]

Standing in front of the mirror naked can be good motivation for some. :D

Smart goals are a good way of making progress, just make sure they are healthy and realistic. The result is the motivation.

I have a new mirror.

I am delighted that it is slightly warped and so I look THIN!!!! That's my exercise.

[renewe]

I should go back to running, it always makes me feel better. I stopped running ever since I left school, August 10th and started working again. My job is really robbing a lot of my energy. I just feel so exhausted after work... feel sloppy... Tomorrow I FINALLY have a day off, maybe I should lace up my running shoes again after a good night's sleep.
I used to be a streak runner. My motivation was the runner's high I would get from each run, the sensation lasting for hours. I really need to get back into the routine.

Take a run in the morning, even if it's just a quick run. You'll find that you'll have even more energy for your job too! You'll feel refreshed and ready for the day after the run and a shower, and you'll have achieved something and done something wonderful for yourself/your body by the time that other people have their first cup of coffee. Try it out and see - if it doesn't work for you, by all means don't do it, but for me it did WONDERS. I should start again. Hmmmm, tomorrow morning! :smile:

[Swami Chihuahuananda]

Locomotion is motivation ; as in, the continuing need for locomotion , and functioning of all other appendages :icon_eek: . Aging gracefully and healthily is a part time job in itself . There's exercise, massage, stretching , icing, nutrition, and rest, and work. Then ya get up and do it all over again :icon_eek: . Getting middle aged is not for wimps ! :D

[Pamuya]

Goals are great to have. Once a year I do a charity event, like MS 160, or a 10k for senior concerns. I think of working out in general as a daily habit, like eating or brushing my teeth. I do it everyday, get up early for mediataion and exercise. I don´t find the time, I make the time. For me exercise is a part of my spirituality.

[Elaiora]

My ultimate motivation in exercising is to become healthy.
Short term goal at the moment is walking 30 minutes a day (I'm at 20 now, so almost there!)
A little bit longer of a goal is losing 5-10 pounds by Christmas.

Over my many ups and downs with my weight, this time seems to be sticking *crosses fingers*

[sweetair]

my goals
- be more relaxed
- sleep better
- look better
- feel better
- be smarter
and all that can be achieve by exercising regularly , always think of exercise , have posters of exercise in your room let us all exercise regularly

[Ilush]

Exercises are very good for mental, emotional and psychical body. At least 20min is required to received all the benefits + heart pulse 100+/minute + hard breathing.

[seo_aoteayoga]

To be successful at a fitness routine, you have to employ a variety of tactics to keep yourself motivated and inspired.