How do you keep motivated to continue working out?

[ibex333]

Every time I start, I last maybe two months max, and then I burn out.

Its always the same. I just.. quit. I can only fight this uphill battle for so long before I cannot take it anymore. It doesn't get easier or better with time. Working out is always tedious, boring and painful.

I can never be "in the moment" and just enjoy what I am doing. I keep looking at the clock to see how soon I can leave the gym and go home to play video games. I feel like a hamster in the wheel on that elliptical or a treadmill fighting against the pain and tedium that always strikes me after about 10 minutes.

I tried to listen to music, but eventually I get sick and tired of the same music and there's only so much music I like. If I am not distracted, I start thinking while I'm working out. I think about the futility of it all, the tedium, the pain, and eventually it gets to me.

There was this one time where I stuck with it for two whole months, 40 min cardio 5 days a week every week. I lost like 20 lbs and halved my belly, but still quit later because it was just all too boring and too mundane.

I tried to vary it. Something like bike one day, elliptical the other, and so on. The weights are kind of pointless in my particular case, since I don't care for gaining muscle. I only want to lose weight and the belly. Yes, I understand weight burn calories too, but cardio is usually more effective for weight loss.

How do you stick with your routine? how do you keep yourself from quitting? After work, I just want to drop on the couch like a bag of potatoes, eat, play some games and pass out to go to work the next day all over again.

I am 35, and I feel like I have no energy, and it's only getting worse. I am 5'9" and I weigh 220 lbs so I am way, way overweight for my height.

 

[shortylickens]

Magazines.

Not the ones with men........

 

[Riverhound777]

Try classes, find people to workout with, mix it up more. And you might think cardio is more effective, but I disagree. You're only working out your legs, you would burn a lot more calories with a full body workout.

Oh and be thankful that you can workout, many can't. i'm fighting through a year long battle with a shoulder issue, I wish I could get in the gym.

 

[hardhat]

It is a combination of different factors.
1. Get on a regular, full 8 hour sleep schedule. Even if you can survive on less, your body recovers over night. You need more sleep when you are exercising, or your workouts will be more painful.
2. Eat healthy. Especially cut out the soft drinks if at all possible. They create a burst of glucose in your blood stream that is abnormal, and makes your naturally induced high from endorphins produced from exercise less noticeable.
3. Make a schedule, always work out on the schedule, and stick with it until it becomes a routine. Many people find music useful because they can draw energy from the songs, or it brings them to the right mindset to work out.
4. You talked about feeling like the workout is pointless or boring. To create a sense of purpose, put reminders up in your house that show why you want to get into and stay in better shape. This can be something as simple as a picture of someone close to you, or a picture of someone who is seriously obese to remind you what a problem it can become. Working out can also be an outlet for frustration or an opportunity to socialize. And, even though it is definitely hard at first, exercise gets easier over time and you enjoy it more as you see yourself able to do things and move more easily than you did before.

 

[corkyg]

. . . and, look in the mirror.

 

[deadlyapp]

You're pretty much 100% wrong about weights not being as good as cardio for burning fat, because as you gain muscle your body uses the energy more efficiently, so your metabolism actually increases. If you're just doing steady state cardio all you're doing is using up calories, you'd be better off just staying home and playing video games with one of those under-desk pedal bike things.

You need a support group, something that gives it energy. Try a group class (High intensity interval training, spin, etc) or get out of the big box gym and do something like crossfit or similar.

You also sound in general like you're depressed. You need to figure out why that is and fix it - more sleep, eat better, focus on goals, get out of toxic environments, etc and worst comes to worst pharmacology.

If 40 minutes is too "boring" then figure out a way to make it faster and more intense. I guarantee you that you can work out hard for 15-20 minutes maximum, 3-4 days a week and improve yourself about 1000% more than steady state cardio.

 

[PricklyPete]

My working out involves or supports my hobbies (Mtn biking/ice hockey).

You may want to try a group setting like CrossFit. Pretty much the fraternity of workout.

 

[ra1nman]

As a 40 y.o. I usual rotate between the gym and outdoor running. Sprinkle in a few 5k events have kept me engaged over the last 4 years. I recently came into a new relationship with a woman who participated in collegiate sports. This has definitely a has sparked a new interest as she has been wanting to get back into the gym. We did a spin class together at the Y this weekend and being in a group setting is entirely new to me. Being more interactive with the people around instead of flying solo is definitely more enjoyable.

 

[purbeast0]

I just don't like being a lazy fat ass and enjoy being in shape. When I get hurt or have to take off a week from the gym, that motivates me even more because I'm out of the gym and I just go home from work, after sitting on my ass for 8 hours, and it sucks. I need to release stress and hit the gym after work. It's just part of my routine and life at this point.

I'm just an active person by nature and enjoy being out walking around, hiking, fishing, biking, snorkeling, being in the water, etc. And being in shape makes all of those a lot easier. I want to be able to do all of that with my kid (hopefully plural) when I am older too and working out consistently will keep me in shape to do so.

What I personally can't grasp or wrap my mind around is how people CANT have the urge to be in shape or go to the gym. I'm not talking about being Mr. Olympia, I'm talking about the people who just sit down all day, eat like shit, then go home and do the same thing. I mean I've "felt like shit" before after eating poorly for like a month, gotten a little fat, etc, and I don't understand how people could enjoy that feeling 24/7.

 

[vi edit]

For me running is an outlet for my competitive side. It's always a quest to be better. I try and put two "major" events on my calendar each year. One in the fall and one in the spring. They are usually a half marathon or a team relay. I just wrapped up a 204 mile team relay this weekend. It was 12 people and we split between 2 vans. Each person does 3 legs for a total mileage of 15-21 miles. I had just under 18 miles. As a team we placed 5th overall out of 245 teams. Not bad. Next spring I'll probably do a destination half marathon in the southwest.

I'm 4 months away from 40 and my next race I'll officially be in the "masters" division for many events. The races put a bulls eye on the calendar. You have to be in shape to do them and the motivation to compete is what gets me up. It sucks lots of days. I have to get up at 4:15 - 4:30 AM most mornings (even weekends) to get my miles in. But I'm in great shape, the competition feels great, and I'm training hard enough that I'm very competitive in my respective age categories. It's a nice outlet from screaming kids and work.

 

[Ackmed]

I am never really motivated to be honest. I don't really enjoy it, it can get very boring. I do the same thing every week. Back+bi's on day 1, chest and tri's on day 2, shoulders and legs on day 3. Throwing in some abs and steps on them too. I know I need to mix it up, I just don't really want to. I enjoy hiking MUCH more, actually being outside doing something. Or any other sort of activity like that.

My wife and I use it as a "date" so to speak. When she was pregnant last, I went a lot less. We workout together one day, and separate the rest. We send flirty texts sometimes, or texts about what other people are wearing. My wife likes to people watch, passes time. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't go nearly as much. My job pays me 2 hours of overtime a week to hit the gym though, so I guess that's some motivation.

 

[HTFOff]

Every time I start, I last maybe two months max, and then I burn out.

Its always the same. I just.. quit. I can only fight this uphill battle for so long before I cannot take it anymore. It doesn't get easier or better with time. Working out is always tedious, boring and painful.

I can never be "in the moment" and just enjoy what I am doing. I keep looking at the clock to see how soon I can leave the gym and go home to play video games. I feel like a hamster in the wheel on that elliptical or a treadmill fighting against the pain and tedium that always strikes me after about 10 minutes.

I tried to listen to music, but eventually I get sick and tired of the same music and there's only so much music I like. If I am not distracted, I start thinking while I'm working out. I think about the futility of it all, the tedium, the pain, and eventually it gets to me.

There was this one time where I stuck with it for two whole months, 40 min cardio 5 days a week every week. I lost like 20 lbs and halved my belly, but still quit later because it was just all too boring and too mundane.

I tried to vary it. Something like bike one day, elliptical the other, and so on. The weights are kind of pointless in my particular case, since I don't care for gaining muscle. I only want to lose weight and the belly. Yes, I understand weight burn calories too, but cardio is usually more effective for weight loss.

How do you stick with your routine? how do you keep yourself from quitting? After work, I just want to drop on the couch like a bag of potatoes, eat, play some games and pass out to go to work the next day all over again.

I am 35, and I feel like I have no energy, and it's only getting worse. I am 5'9" and I weigh 220 lbs so I am way, way overweight for my height.

You come off as someone who needs a therapist and a set of actual weights than some magic motivational speech.

Ever think that maybe your motivation is shit because all you were doing is heavy cardio and not touching the weights? Despite trimming the belly, your frame stayed the same. The only "gainz" you made were probably your diaphram from all that cardio. Probably looked in the mirror and said "damn I still look like shit". This can be corrected.

You could have lost that belly from diet alone. Also I died a little inside with the "don't care for gaining muscle" (don't worry, you won't, chubs.), and "cardio is usually more effective for weight loss", (just plain wrong and a silly mindset to boot.)

Pick up something heavy, put it down. Eat balanced, watch your body change. If you want to keep those changes and even improve you will figure out a way to be consistent.

 

[Pantlegz]

There are a couple issues I see with your approach.

1) you don't mention specific goals, setting small and obtainable goals is the key to maintaining motivation while you build the habit.

2) cardio may help drop pounds on the scale but if you're just wasting muscle mass and not dropping any fat you're actually setting yourself back because when you quit exercising your BMR is lower due to less muscle mass. You don't have to put on a ton of muscle but doing enough resistance training to maintain muscle mass while doing cardio will net bigger long-term gains

As far as how to stay motivated and have that motivation become dedication I won't be of much help. I'm easily self-motivated and very competitive so I found sports that I enjoy and have a competitive aspect which keeps me engaged.

It's also worth noting (as others have above) that a healthy diet is more important to weight loss that spending time in the gym. You can offset hours of cardio with one dessert, a can of soda is equal to about an hour of cardio. Making more healthy food choices can also help with recovery/pain and increase energy making exercise less awful.

 

[snoopy7548]

You're pretty much 100% wrong about weights not being as good as cardio for burning fat, because as you gain muscle your body uses the energy more efficiently, so your metabolism actually increases. If you're just doing steady state cardio all you're doing is using up calories, you'd be better off just staying home and playing video games with one of those under-desk pedal bike things.

You need a support group, something that gives it energy. Try a group class (High intensity interval training, spin, etc) or get out of the big box gym and do something like crossfit or similar.

You also sound in general like you're depressed. You need to figure out why that is and fix it - more sleep, eat better, focus on goals, get out of toxic environments, etc and worst comes to worst pharmacology.

If 40 minutes is too "boring" then figure out a way to make it faster and more intense. I guarantee you that you can work out hard for 15-20 minutes maximum, 3-4 days a week and improve yourself about 1000% more than steady state cardio.

I agree with this. Weights are important. I can't imagine keeping up with 40 minutes of cardio 5 days per week. If nothing else, weights will break up the monotony.

When the weather is nice, go for some hikes and skip a day or two at the gym. Nothing gets the blood flowing like climbing up a mountain at a steady pace for an hour.

 

[ibex333]

You come off as someone who needs a therapist.

Ouch! That really hurts dude. You got me, I do have some mental problems, and I do see a psychiatrist on a regular basis, and take my pills as prescribed. So I am fine in that regard. I work a full time job and function like any other normal person. But these things have nothing to do with my workout motivation. According to my doc, many very healthy people lack motivation to work out. I am merely seeking advice on how to deal with my demons.

 

[deadlyapp]

Ouch! That really hurts dude. You got me, I do have some mental problems, and I do see a psychiatrist on a regular basis, and take my pills as prescribed. So I am fine in that regard. I work a full time job and function like any other normal person. But these things have nothing to do with my workout motivation. According to my doc, many very healthy people lack motivation to work out. I am merely seeking advice on how to deal with my demons.

The way you write how you feel doesn't make it sound like you aren't motivated, it makes you sound like you're tortured by other things that impact you, which you're blaming on "lack of motivation." You need to think about what motivation actually is. Why do you feel like you need to work out in the first place? Is it so you don't die early? Is it to help you find a mate? Is it simply because you think you need to fit a social norm? You need to figure out why you should be working out, quantify it, set goals, and then celebrate those goals. Maybe it's something small at first, like be able to walk up an entire stairwell without stopping, so boom - celebrate that, have a good cheat meal, a marathon gaming session, whatever it might be, then reset the goal to something more and start again.

Exercise that isn't maintainable in your lifestyle is worthless. So if you can't maintain what you're doing, then fix it - do something else. Start riding bikes, start hiking, go for a few 10 minute walks every day, make small changes that add up to big differences with time.

 

[HTFOff]

Ouch! That really hurts dude. You got me, I do have some mental problems, and I do see a psychiatrist on a regular basis, and take my pills as prescribed. So I am fine in that regard. I work a full time job and function like any other normal person. But these things have nothing to do with my workout motivation. According to my doc, many very healthy people lack motivation to work out. I am merely seeking advice on how to deal with my demons.

I can see how the comment about therapist came off as an attack. I sincerely regret that. Just an observation, my good man. You did some serious venting in the OP.

Talk therapy can do wonders for people. Many laugh it off or have too much pride to try it. It's good you're being proactive about your mental health, you're already ahead of the curve in that regard. I've tried therapy before and have used psychotropics myself in the past. You are so, so, so not alone in that regard. You are also so, so so not alone in being a lazy chubola either! So start working on the the things that are easier to control.

 

[Davidpaul007]

Well, I think others have chimed in with some solid advice, but I can't resist giving my 2c. As a frame of reference to know where I'm coming from: I'm also 35, full time (sedentary) job, bunch-o- kids, single digit bodyfat, and I workout 3x's a week. I don't say this to brag, but to hopefully drive home the point that spending a lot of time in the gym isn't necessary to be healthier or even a desirable body composition.

The first thought that jumped out to me is simply "you're doing it wrong". I know that's not super helpful, maybe I can explain without writing a novel. As you might have guessed from my intro, and other responses, diet is the biggest thing you need to address if you don't want to be so out of shape. I'm not going to wax on about that here though, you probably already know what you need to do.

Second, and I find this critical to long term success - find something you enjoy (or at least don't hate) and do it in a sustainable manner. I wish I could have a dollar for every time I gave this advice and the person didn't listen. I have seen so many people go on this diet/exercise "kick" and work out 5 or 6 days a week and eat food they hate. With enough willpower this will work, but it's only a matter of time before you break. Now you have this mindset that it's impossible to stay in shape without a ridiculous amount of time and effort and just give up. If I had to do cardio 5 days a week to stay in shape I wouldn't do it, because I hate cardio and find it mind numbing (at least the way most people do it).

As someone else said, and I agree with completely, make small obtainable goals.

Finally, determine your "why" and keep thinking on it and let it burn into your mind. If you don't have a good reason to go through the pain (and yes, there will always be pain) then you will not be successful.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Yep. Gyms are boring. I prefer to get my exercise outdoors doing a myriad of more interesting things. Unfortunately I live in a state that is about to have crappy weather for a few months. The gym is the only way to stay in shape so I can enjoy my outdoor sports come spring.

About the only good thing is some ladies bring a certain motivation and inspiration to the gym. So fit and so hot.

 

[ArchAngel777]

If I had to do cardio 5 days a week to stay in shape I wouldn't do it, because I hate cardio and find it mind numbing (at least the way most people do it).

I find this interesting and just shows how each of us are unique. I love the endorphins from running. Like, that is my drug of choice. If I don't get my fix of cardio, I tend to eat more foods that are unhealthy (for my endorphin hit). I have a theory after studying a great portion of my life and humans and behavior and it is this: Each person needs a number of 'fixes' to function. Some get this from junk food, some from gambling, porn, religious activities, drinking, drugs, hanging out with friends, playing video games and a whole list of other activities. An addict is someone who typically gets all of their fix from one or two activities. A non-addict is one who juggles several activities, but less often. In other words, because my list is quite small, running becomes my primary activity and when I am deprived of it, I turn to eating. Others might turn to drugs, drinking with their buddies, playing video games, etc... This is why I typically don't judge others for what they do or do not do, but help them to understand they have choices to make and some choices are better and more sustainable than others. Some addictions have a 'negative feedback loop' causing shame, which escalate the behavior to avoid those feelings. Anyhow, I did go off topic, but my guess is that you have a fix of another sort that you use day in and day out, or multiple fixes. You are going to get a fix from somewhere, just a matter of where and whether it is healthy or not.

 

[mike8675309]

I started regularly working out in November of 2014. I started just riding a bike at a gym. I would do that 5 days a week for 20 minutes. Summer came and I started running and riding outside. January 2015 I started with weights. I run and ride bike in the summer as well as lift. I try to keep busy with either the gym, a ride, or a run 6 days a week with one rest day.

What motivates me?
I keep myself accountable: I track all my workouts in a book and I track my progress. I share my progress on social media.
I do what I enjoy: Not feeling like a legday, I go for a run. Not feeling like doing just push, do a full body workout. Whatever I do, I feel better after I've done it. Regular exercise is good for your mind.
I workout smart: I am careful not to push to hard. I leave my ego at the door to the gym and do the workout that works for me. I run careful, I pay attention to my run style and how I feel. I don't continue if something starts to feel tender.
I like being strong: Strong for me isn't just raw strength but endurance as well.

 

[fleshconsumed]

I think the problem of motivation comes down to pain vs rewards. If you see rewards as being worth the pain, you'll do it. If you don't feel like it's worth it, then you won't do it. So I think first and most of all you should decide if you actually want/need this. Do you actually want to be fit? And if so, why? Find that reason and latch to it, keep it burning inside your mind. Or you could decide that you just don't see any upside to exercise in which case just sit back and relax.

Personally I have love hate relationship with exercise. I hate doing it, but I love the way it make me look and feel. To me, the rewards are infinitely more worth it. Every time I look in the mirror I see the results of my hard work, it makes me feel satisfied and proud, and it's a small part of what makes it worth it. I also like what it does for my self esteem and confidence. Not to mention sleeping better, feeling better, functioning better. There are dozens of reasons why it's worth it. But don't get me wrong, it is not easy to exercise. It does require will power and constantly reminding myself why I do it. I bike to work, and every morning in the fall when the temperatures fall below 50 degrees or colder I can't help but think of just how much nicer it would be to ride in a car with heated seats. I hate that I have to put 2-3 layers when temperatures drop to freezing. I hate doing bodyweight exercises too, I'm not in my twenties anymore and while my recovery times are really good for my age, I am just not the same man I was only 10 years ago, recovery times are definitely longer than they used to be, I have all these different aches after exercises that I didn't use to have, and it all sucks.

My advice would be to find the reason why you want to exercise and keep repeating it in your brain. It doesn't have to be something grand/honoroble like wanting to live longer or reducing your ecological footprint, don't box yourself in, it can be anything as silly as thinking of sexy people as you exercise and thinking that soon you'll be one of those sexy people. Find your reason and hold on to it. A big problem that you will have to overcome is that when you're really out of shape, it can take a year or more before you actually feel the rewards. I'm not talking about seeing results on the scale, but actually feeling them with your whole body. When I was getting back in shape, seeing numbers on the scale go down month to month definitely let me know I was heading in the right direction, but I didn't actually feel the results until the very end of my journey. Now that I'm there, I never want to leave, I never want to be fat again. There is a certain hump that you have to overcome, and I just don't think 2 months is enough. I know it doesn't help you now, but you need to keep in mind that it's going to take much longer than 2 months before you feel the rewards. And don't sabotage your results with crappy diet. Clean it up, it'll make things a whole lot easier. One last thing, to second people above, set goals. When I started exercising again my goal was this week I'm going to do better than the last. That was my goal. In the beginning I couldn't even run three quarters of a mile without stopping. So I found myself a nice 3 mile trail outside and set myself a goal that every time I run just a bit longer than last time before I break for a walk, or that I'll make less stops along the way than last week, or that my breaks this week are going to be shorter than last time, or that I'm going to be 30 seconds quicker today than two days ago. When I switched to biking I told myself I'll do 30 miles today, next month it was 35, by the end of the summer it was 40. Now of course, sooner or later, you're going to top out, but it won't happen for a long time, and keeping goal like this definitely helps.

 

[KIAman]

It's a routine for me. If I don't work out, I feel off like something isn't right. So working out doesn't require motivation, rather just me following my typical schedule.

 

[Muse]

You will find that as you get older it's harder to stay fit. You can still do it, but you have to be dedicated. When I was younger I could get away with stopping whatever I was doing to stay fit and come back to it in a month or two and get back into it in not too much time. I discovered that as you get older, those lapses take a bigger toll.

A big part of what keeps me motivated is the good feeling I get after a workout, even during a workout. You've heard of the endorphins, the hormones your body produces when you work out. They produce a natural high, a feeling of well being. Whatever might be going on in my life that causes stress or anxiety is greatly alleviated by my workouts. The things that were bothering me become relatively insignificant. I have gotten many of my best ideas in the gym, they just come to me because of the higher energy state I achieve while being physical. Mental energy comes from physical energy. You will find that developing yourself physically has positive effects beyond being strong and having endurance.

As said in the thread already, you should pay attention to what you eat. You have to learn to do this, learn to like doing this. That may seem like an unpleasant thing to you now, but it can be quite the opposite. I strongly suggest watching the documentary "Fed Up."

 

[Ezra. W]

I can related to that, dude. As I getting back home from work I was always exhausted and felt like to do nothing. But soon I found workout is a perfect way to release the stress from work. You could just make a plan, and if you achieve the goal, reward yourself by getting something you've been long expected.