Please tell me how you get yourself to the Gym!!!

[Bring it on]

Originally Posted by Cassaroll

Wow, there's a lot of great recommendations here! For me personally, I try to think of how great I will feel for the rest of the day after I exercise. Trust me, once you start exercising regularly, you will feel a noticable difference in your mood and energy. If that doesn't motivate me, I have a few things I do to get my butt going:

1. Read exercise and nutrition threads. Reading about the benefits of exercise or inpsirational stories really helps sometimes!
2. Download new music to my ipod for running.
3. Start listening to music NOW. Get yourself pumped up to work out.

Make sure that when you exercise, you focus on feeling powerful and healthy. Think of exercising as a higher form of existence when all of your senses are heightened.


Hope this helps
-Cass

Yes, I have been thinking of loading up new music from Itunes.

Thanks

[JuliaL]

Originally Posted by Ricardolowcarbo

I went to the Gym tonight! I went after work. It felt so good to work out and then hit the shower. Walking out showered and changed into my jeans felt great. Thanks for everyone's support.

YAY! You see? That good feeling is what will keep you motivated! Way to go!

[hotheather]

Okay, here's my 2 cents! Basically, my time in the gym is just that-my time! it's my time away from family, friends, work, stress, anger, etc! i use the gym as my safe haven, because personally that is the only place that's all about Heather! I go in there with a vengenace! i do NOT smile or chit-chat! i'm not interested in making new friends (although i have! lol), but i go in there and i train. if i dont feel like going, i make myself go and say, start and if you still dont want to after 15min-then go home, but by that time i'm like, hell i feel good and i stay. in the morning if i do cardio-which use to be at 4am..i leave my exercise gear right next to my bed so i trip on it! i have everything ready to go. It's really a mind thing. i also reward myself to tanning (bad..i know..), the hot tub, steam room, new exercise gear, or music. Also, this totally motivated me-get a calander and mark everyday thatyou train in red-just X it out and log what you did, like-upper body/45min cardio. that motivated me to see how many days i remained faithful. seriously, the gym is like a husband or a wife-YOU HAVE TO BE FAITHFUL! When men ask if i'm married or dating-i say yes, to x-sport! lol. if they are meat heads-they get it, if they arent into the gym..they are completely lost! good luck andi hope i didnt babble on to much

[Bring it on]

Yes,

I know what you mean. I used to lift a lot some years ago and I use to be at that point where I did not want to miss a workout. I remember staying at an old girlfriends parents house for the weekend. Well Saturday was my workout day and I had a workout partner. I was working out every other day. I did not want to let him down or myself so there was no question in my mind that I was going to drive about an hour and fifteen minuts each way to our Gym just to not skip that workout. That was the commitment that I had.
I am starting to get back. I hit the Gym last night and again. It felt so good afterwords. I just have to keep remembering that feeling. Your idea about rewarding yourself with the hot tub is great. I just usually shower and feel like I have to get home to my wife and daughter. That would be a real reward to let myself sit in the hot tub for 15 minutes.

Thanks

[hotheather]

you can totally do it! start logging your workouts and write down your mood b4 and after each workout and i gurantee that you will always feel better after then you do b4! Reward yourself once all your weekly workouts are met! Explain it to your wife, i'm sure she will understand as long as you make time for her and your daughter! you won't do her or the little one any good w/ a diease or 6 feet under! your health is important and being a good role model is important as well!!

[Bring it on]

Originally Posted by hotheather

you can totally do it! start logging your workouts and write down your mood b4 and after each workout and i gurantee that you will always feel better after then you do b4! Reward yourself once all your weekly workouts are met! Explain it to your wife, i'm sure she will understand as long as you make time for her and your daughter! you won't do her or the little one any good w/ a diease or 6 feet under! your health is important and being a good role model is important as well!!

You're right. Thanks for the encouragement!

[Bring it on]

Originally Posted by Denise85

I have a set schedule of when I work out posted. Dh and I both see it, and know the times. It holds me accountable. On the days I don't feel like working out I force myself to put my workout clothes on, and look at the schedule. That usually does the trick.

Having a set schedule if possible is one of the best tips I've been given. It's easy to say you'll work out sometime today, but having it written down makes it harder to say no to (IMO). It doesn't have to be the same time every day either.

Most days I love working out now. I've been regularly working out for almost 12 year now. I definately have my moments when I don't feel like going, but looking at old pics of me reminds me of how hard I've worked, and how I don't want to look/feel how I did over 100 pounds a go.

Denise,

I have used your idea with great success. I have posted a schedule on the fridge that my wife and I can both see. With both our schedules things get changed but for the most part, I get my gym time in and actually go and work out. I see how precious the time is and I am taking advantage of it.
Thanks so much for posting your strategy.

[Bring it on]

Originally Posted by MindyK

For me, I found that going to a gym just wasn't for me... I was always so self-conscious about working out in front of other people - it was a constant battle... I wanted to win it, because the gym was really really nice, but I finally to a point after a couple of years that I realized that I didn't work out half the time - I would talk myself out of going for various reasons - including just not wanting to be around other people... I cancelled my membership, got my dvd's back out and have worked out more in the last few months than I have most of the last two years... I sometimes even work out twice/day at home... but most importantly, I'm back to being consistent again and I can sooo tell the difference...

So... I took a different approach...

That's great if it works for you. I used to work out at home when i had the equiptment. Now it's easier for me to use the gym's equiptment.

[Mindy]

Originally Posted by Ricardolowcarbo

That's great if it works for you. I used to work out at home when i had the equiptment. Now it's easier for me to use the gym's equiptment.

Exactly... and if I had the gym all to myself, I probably would do the same... I am just soooooooo self-conscious when working out around other people... I tried so hard to shake it but never could... I actually found myself cringing if I saw someone I knew and would avoid using certain equipment if those people where close by...

I am normally a VERY outgoing person - sing and perform in productions, etc... so it's such a weird thing...

[Chef]

Originally Posted by hotheather

Okay, here's my 2 cents! Basically, my time in the gym is just that-my time! it's my time away from family, friends, work, stress, anger, etc! i use the gym as my safe haven, because personally that is the only place that's all about Heather! I go in there with a vengenace! i do NOT smile or chit-chat! i'm not interested in making new friends (although i have! lol), but i go in there and i train. if i dont feel like going, i make myself go and say, start and if you still dont want to after 15min-then go home, but by that time i'm like, hell i feel good and i stay. in the morning if i do cardio-which use to be at 4am..i leave my exercise gear right next to my bed so i trip on it! i have everything ready to go. It's really a mind thing. i also reward myself to tanning (bad..i know..), the hot tub, steam room, new exercise gear, or music. Also, this totally motivated me-get a calander and mark everyday thatyou train in red-just X it out and log what you did, like-upper body/45min cardio. that motivated me to see how many days i remained faithful. seriously, the gym is like a husband or a wife-YOU HAVE TO BE FAITHFUL! When men ask if i'm married or dating-i say yes, to x-sport! lol. if they are meat heads-they get it, if they arent into the gym..they are completely lost! good luck andi hope i didnt babble on to much

Hi HH,

Sorry to jump in on RC's thread but you have a great attitude and a very interesting way of putting the workout first in your life. Your post is great inspiration. You have some great ideas that you could expand upon. the get your stuff ready and make yourself just do it is so important. I hope RC sees your post because it is an example of all that is goood about the time we spend getting and staying in shape.
Thanks alot
Jim

[slinkerbell]

rich, good for you for getting to the gym!!! i read somewhere that after 20 days of exercise, it starts to become habit - in other words, after 20 days (or so), you don't have to convince yourself as hard to exercise. in my own experience, after about two or three months it gets to the point of NEEDING to exercise (to get that feeling after you work out). i guess it's an addiction, yes, but a good one. i still have days where i have to convince myself, but it doesn't take long - i usually get on this board and see the thread "it's ____day, who's working out?".

[maria40nc]

Keep an exercise log! I have an excel spreadsheet that I track my budget and spending; but I also have a page for fitness. I have coulmns across:

Date, Weight, Waist, Walk Dog (this is my warm up before cardio or strength), Cardio, Time/Distance, Strength, Time/Distance, Walk (usually 2.5 mi on lunch hr), Notes

I track what I do every day, and if I do nothing for a day I shade that row grey. If you have a lot of rows shaded grey, you'll feel really bad about it! This helps keep me accountable.

I also logged my New Year's resolutions last year. So now I can review them and note which ones I successfully did and which still need work.

I guess I'm becoming a compulsive logger! It's turned into somewhat of a hobby.

Maria

[Bhargava]

Get online information about how to get health & fitness, health centers, benefits of yoga classes, dance fitness classes, aerobic exercises,fitness for women after 40 ages, How to get 6 pack abs and more.

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[Starduster]

Originally Posted by maria40nc

Keep an exercise log! I have an excel spreadsheet that I track my budget and spending; but I also have a page for fitness. I have coulmns across:

Date, Weight, Waist, Walk Dog (this is my warm up before cardio or strength), Cardio, Time/Distance, Strength, Time/Distance, Walk (usually 2.5 mi on lunch hr), Notes

I track what I do every day, and if I do nothing for a day I shade that row grey. If you have a lot of rows shaded grey, you'll feel really bad about it! This helps keep me accountable.

I also logged my New Year's resolutions last year. So now I can review them and note which ones I successfully did and which still need work.

I guess I'm becoming a compulsive logger! It's turned into somewhat of a hobby.

Maria

I'm not nearly as organized as you (yet) lol, but yes I do find that logging in my w/o's has been very inspiring. I used blue font on days I miss, and have begun to hate seeing those blue letters. In a weird way my week has become all about seeing black font on my log.

[wishnot]

Originally Posted by Ricardolowcarbo

I use to be afraid to go to the gym and lift and be one of those guys that looks like there's muscle under there but boy did he let himself go.

I guess it is being self conscious

I used to be self conscious about going to the gym too. I thought that all the people at the gym were the super fit ones that went every day. Yes, those people are there, but there are also LOTS of people like me! People that are not really in shape but are trying to be. And you know what, there are even people in there that look worse off than me. Once I started going I realized that gym-goers aren't all perfect muscle machines.

Another thing that helped me was to realize that even if people were looking at me and judging me what did it matter? What does their opinion really mean to me? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! This may sound harsh but they're really nothing to me. I likely won't speak to them or ever really know them so what they think doesn't mean a gosh darn thing!