Help How can I get motivation to exercise?

[TheSoulless]

My health problems are getting even worse since I exercise so little. My parents constantly criticise me about it, but I don't have any desire to go out there, especially since there are people there. Any tips?

 

[Notmadeforthislife]

My health problems are getting even worse since I exercise so little. My parents constantly criticise me about it, but I don't have any desire to go out there, especially since there are people there. Any tips?

Don't wait until you feel motivated. Just make yourself exercise even when you don't feel like it. Eventually you may learn to enjoy it. But only if you make yourself do it first. That's my experience.
Also think about why you need to exercise. How will exercising make your life better? It can improve your physical and mental health. Just remind yourself of that when you don't feel like exercising.

 

[Deleted member 17949]

Start by lowering the bar. What are your current expectations for starting to exercise? Whatever they are the stress needed to complete them clearly exceeds the energy you're able to put in. Start as small as possible. A 20 minute walk is better than nothing. Small routines like this give you a framework to work with; once that routine is there you can build bigger tasks into it and work in more intense exercise. It's all about finding a comfortable starting point so that you can start building momentum without pushing to hard and burning out.

 

[so tired or manic]

it takes something like 60 days to form a habit so doing things like situps and pushups for 60 days could get the ball rolling

 

[CuddleHug]

There are lots of ways you can exercise at home. I don't know enough to give any specific suggestions, but I'm sure you can find good guides online. I think the key is to get your heart rate up more than length of sessions.

Second option is to do something fun, like dancing. You can follow along YT dance videos and try to learn the choreography. If you have a game console, Just Dance is amazing because you get points and it tickles your reward system. There's also RingFit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch if you have that console. I've heard it's really good!

Hugs~

 

[restingspot]

This method is unconventional but it works for me. While I'm not unmotivated to exercise, I'm unmotivated to fast. I love fasting when I get into the zone of it (2nd-3rd day), but at the start it's just...you're hungry and you wanna eat. So I watch this guy called Cole and he runs a channel called Snake Diet (or something). I don't follow his program but the way he screams and shouts and berates his viewers into stop eating altogether to reset your blood sugar and tastebuds...It motivated me to do it, despite me initially hating him.

Went through a four day fast and lost some weight. Ate a meal and the food tasted amazing. It made me appreciate my food and be more aware of what I put into my body and start another cycle until I hit my goal weight and just do maintenance fasting (48s). I also exercised during those fasts. Lots of yoga.

This only worked for me though. I was tired of being gentle with myself and started being aggressive and antagonistic until I proved to myself I could do better.

 

[schopenh]

Sorry if my suggestions have already been mentioned. This is all just my own experience, I'm not quoting any science.
Exercise requires a breaking in period. It's realy tough at first and not very rewarding. So you just have to force yourself to do it.
Just take an example: pullups.
It feels lame not being able to just a single one so you would then think 'well how do I even improve at all, then?'
But the human race has been exercising methodically for a very long time. There's always a way to start at the absolute bottom and make your way up.
If you're unsure how, then just do a quick google. In the case of pullups, what you actually do is jump up tpo the bar a\nd lower yourself as slow as possible and repeat until you can't do that any more. If you can't even do that, you find a way to counter your own weight or buil those muscles with a different exercise that doesn't work them as hard.
Can't even walk for a few steps without getting out of breath? OK, sit in a chair and practice rapid and deep breathing. It will make your entire body tingle if you're that out of shape.
Anyways, once you're exercising regularly for a few weeks you get a positive feedback loop and start to enjoy doing it and look forward to doing it.
If you are looking to actually take care of your body and actually exercise for health, and not the human need to prove something to people who don't care, (and end up with knee and back surgery at the age of 45), then I recommend just following some simple yoga for beginners on YouTube for the net 6 months. It also means you don't need to go anywhere, you can do it from your bedroom. You can do it at your own pace, pause the video, take your time and nobody is watching you so it's a nice safe space.

 

[Thinking]

Three pieces of advice:

1. Whatever amount of time you want to spend exercising, cut it in half. This will make achieving this goal much more manageable and less intimidating.

2. Try to exercise at the same time every day/ couple of days. Or if you don't want it to be at a specific time, make it be in relation to an activity you do daily. For example, "I will workout after lunch"

3. Try to find something that you actually enjoy. Exercise doesn't have to be miserable. Some ideas: pilates, yoga, Zumba, HITT, running, weight training, swimming, jump roping, etc

 

[Throwawaysoul]

I've been doing 30 minute walks at like 6am in the park when no one is.there. Then its back to the couch for the rest of the day. Unfortunately I'm up at that time for some reason. Meh

 

[so tired or manic]

1. Whatever amount of time you want to spend exercising, cut it in half. This will make achieving this goal much more manageable and less intimidating.

I could have really used this advice a bunch of times. better late then never

 

[Sensei]

Three pieces of advice:
2. Try to exercise at the same time every day/ couple of days. Or if you don't want it to be at a specific time, make it be in relation to an activity you do daily. For example, "I will workout after lunch"

This has worked for me. I've set a reoccuring notificiation at 8 p.m. on my phone and then I've exercised in my home at that time every day. You can buy a so-called resistance band for less than $20 and work (almost) any part of your body.

 

[Morphinekiss]

Like other have said I always work out at the same time, unless there is some major reason I can't. I also don't let myself eat for the day until I've worked out so that is motivation if I'm hungry enough.

 

[Imgonnadie]

I did a full body workout for a month before getting laid off due to corona and quitting. It makes you feel better and the last thing I want to do when I feel okay is suffer, which is what working out is.

 

[lostangel]

It's more about discipline rather than motivation. Sometimes I don't want to work out but I still do because I made it a habit.
The most important thing you can do is make it fun. If really don't want to do eg squat because of knees hurting then do something you would be happy doing.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

I've tried to exercise constantly and always given up. Why? Because it's hard work, especially of you are doing it just for your health, and it's an activity you don't actually enjoy.
Personally, the only way I'll regularly exercise is if I enjoy it. So for me, that's walking, scavenging materials for the garden and gardening too. But if you have a sport you like, then that's good to, especially if it's sociable. I found weights and the gym very boring and so stopped.

 

[Cosmiq]

Do you like reading if so I recommend Atomic Habits.
Before I spiraled downward, it was one of the few things that helped me get the tiniest bit of hope. I haven't revisited the book because I've chosen to give up, but would still recommend it to anyone that is trying to choose another path.

It's mostly about how difficult it can be to do something like exercising and showing how to do the smallest of steps to reaching the end game goal.
An example was like becoming a morning runner. Instead of setting an alarm to wake up at 5 am to run. He talks about starting with smaller things the night before. Smaller steps just to get to bed at a decent time. Then once you get there smaller steps to waking up, smaller habits to getting out of bed to just taking that first walk even if it's just a slow walk that's around the block instead of the 2-5 miles the person could be aiming for. The thing is mostly about how first creating the smallest habit and steps, where can have actual wins helps because you don't feel like an immediate failure and are less discouraged and more motivated to do these small(atomic level) habits that actually achievable.

Edit: Also if you don't have the money to buy the book, google z library. it has ebooks and you should be able to find it there. It's by James Clear.

 

[mathieu]

I have a personal trainer I get for free. I see him 3 x a week. I never want to go but I have an appointment to attend so I do. I often feel good after.

 

[a.n.kirillov]

It's a thin line between feeding into the depression by feeling guilty, or "shoulding yourself" into things and giving yourself a little push to get going.

Optimally, you would want to get to a place where you want to move around, be it hiking, running or weight lifting, but in the beginning you may have to apply a little force.

As to the other people problem; is there forest in the area where you live? Hiking could be a good start.

 

[Deleted member 18655]

Go through YouTube and find a short video that appeals to you ("low impact," "dance workout," "beginners exercise," etc.) and try to do one, even if you only do a few minutes. You probably won't finish any the first few times you try so don't expect that. Just look until you find what you like. Find one with music you like and one that you think you could do a few times a week. You might try to find music and use it for long or short walks. I have a mini-trampouline and just jump/run to 80s new wave .

FWIW, here's the video I also use; it's easy and it's effective: