How do you motivate yourself to actually exercise? Exercise is part of my morning routine in theory, but that just means that I don’t finish my morning routine until three in the afternoon because I hate exercise so much that I do nothing for hours in order to avoid exercising. And then the day is shot.

I've found that sticking with a short, manageable time really helps. I've been working out regularly for over two weeks (a big success for me!) and I still only do the suggested 8 minutes. It's over before I have a chance to think about it. If I feel like going longer I might add a couple extra minutes but I don't push myself. I'm making it a regular routine before I even think about increasing the length or intensity. I feel immensely more proud of myself for doing 8 minutes nearly every day than if I did 30 or 60 minutes once.

For your morning routine do only 10 reps of anything (push ups, lunges, plank, dancing, etc). That's it. Proceed to do your morning shores and don't worry about the exercise because you are done. Since you prolong the longer more strenuous exercise routine until 3pm, then exercise at 3pm. Lets say the exercise is on a dvd (e.g. The Firm, or Cathy Diedrich), your first mission is just to put the DVD in the player and let it play. That's it. Don't commit to exercise, just to watch it. Watch it and them just follow the warm up. Again don't commit to the exercise. Do the first 5 minutes of the routine then pause. See how u feel. If you want to stop there then do. But if u wanna go for another 5 mins, then proceed. The goal is to think about your exercise as small chunks. If u look at it as a whole, then it may be overwhelming and dreadful to want to start doing it in the first place. A little bit of exercise is exercise! Build on it. Don't attempt to be goliath on the first day.

That’s a tough one! I would start small – even walking around the block for ten minutes is enough at the beginning. If you have negative thoughts around exercise, you’ll have to figure out how to reward yourself every time you go for a walk or do an activity. Otherwise the negative thoughts will multiply and you’ll never want to exercise.

So one of the ways I motivate myself is to watch youtube videos/ instagram accounts of people I look upto in terms of health. Using vision boards also helps. The first step it to think that you arent fit. For example, I know that my thighs are big and my lower body strength is very low. So I feel bad about it and get to work. Look upto somebody who is your ideal, compare yourself and get to work

I would try doing your routine in order, and when you get to exercise, at least do 1 minute, or 1 set of reps. Build up more over time, or allow yourself to do “just one more set while I’m here.” Also focus mindfully on how happy you are to be done with the exercise bit, how proud you are that you did an extra Rep, etc. to mentally reward yourself so you’ll look forward to that feeling in the future.

I have spent more than six months to build up this habit, so it is a long journey. At first, I start to take some yoga classes regularly every week, because there are professional teacher and diligent students there, as teacher can help me do those movements in a right way and make exercise more efficiently , I see the benefits of exercise soon. Also, when I was in those classes, seeing people work so hard and focused on their body, I feel so motivated and just want to be like them. Then with the time passing by, I found I have been doing it for three months. This is my secret of keeping exercising!

My motivation is to remember why I started this journey in the 1st place. Revisiting goals is something that motivates me to carry on exercising.

I find that doing things I hate can be a good meditation. I focus on the little things. Get my workout clothes on. Then leave the house. Then travel to the gym. Each step is another awful win! And then I’m done.

Personally, I find a short 7 or 8 minute workout on YouTube and do that before making breakfast. This way, you feel incredibly silly for putting your whole day on hold for a seven minute video and you don't get to eat breakfast until you do your workout. It doesn't have to be a cardio video. There are plenty of fitness YouTubers who have 30 day challenges. I'm on day 8 of an ab challenge and it's the same idea as Fabulous in that I don't want to break the streak. Always start the first move of the video doing the workout to the best of your ability and then move to a further modified version. Remember, you can do it. It's 7 quick minutes. It's no big deal. 7 minutes and you can move on with your day guilt free.

Exercise always doesn't mean going to gym or doing something different. I prefer walking for 10-15 min everyday for bringing things for everyday need from nearby shop which is 10 min away. Or you can walk in circles in home also. But walking should be brisk, at high pace

You have to change your definition of yourself to: a person who exercises. If you do not affect internal change you will not have external change. It's about changing your identity.

I’m a student, so it’s easy for me to get in my exercise early in the morning (I do yoga for 10 minutes at 5:45am). Since every single morning is exactly the same Monday-Friday, it’s helped me create a strict routine.
Also, I just make sure that there are no excuses. I put my yoga mat out with a bottle of water, set my alarm, etc. It’s all about preparing yourself each and everyday.

I 100% understand where this question is coming from. Honestly, I tend to think "Get this $#!& out of the way, first". Which, isn't very motivational, but it does encourage me to get exercise done first. Once that is done, I have a whole day to do whatever I want!

I can't just leap out of bed and just start running out lifting weights; so, I take control by easing myself into the right mood. Rightly or wrongly, I take a leisurely cup of coffee during which I preview the day ahead party of which is my exercise. The backdrop to my approach is important; you see, my exercise regime is built on two important tenants (1) something is better than nothing and (2) sustainability is better than intensity. Regarding the first, on those days when I really can't stand the thought of exercise I will still do something if only walk around the block or do a few press ups. As for the second, I don't want to put myself off exercising by overtraining or soreness and would rather doing something everyday than every other, or worse, just to recover. Over a period of time, I'll run further and lift more weights than those who have intense blasts but need to or three days to recover. The coffee and the two tenets keep me in good stead and consistent – my polar heart rate monitor tells me my fitness level is elite for my age so I'm getting something right.

The hardest part about exercising is starting. Once you get going, you get in motion and you keep going. Tell yourself that you will exercise only for one minute. Alternatively, tell yourself that you’ll do only 10 push-ups. Once you get going, you can do more if you like. Every day you can add more to your routine. Before you know it, you’ll be putting it an hour of workout.

I wait to exercise until I have gotten off work in the afternoon. I just have not yet been successful at cultivating morning exercise. 🙂

Make sure you’re not trying to do too much at once. Try doing easy exercises for a shorter amount of time. Do it as soon as possible in the morning before you have a chance to get distracted, start procrastinating and give up entirely. I would also recommend not going on your phone until you finish your morning routine as it may distract you and lead to procrastination.

make it easier for you to exercise. like running? put your shoes right by your bed. pop ‘em on and go. like yoga? keep your mat by your bedside before bed. this makes it easier

I have the exact same problem! What I try to do is make exercise more exciting and a treat in and of itself. Motivating myself to go running is difficult. Especially when the weather doesn't cooperate. So I made a game. On difficult to motivate days I roll some dice. Whatever number I land on I go to my preset youtube list of exercise demos. Today I exercised by doing a ballet warm-up. Last week I ended up doing a salsa aerobics video. The novelty of it makes exercise more exciting. Plus I get to feel like a gorgeous dancer.

I also have a desk calendar with a special gold gel pen JUST for checking off the days I succeed in exercising. I make a gold star in the box.

I promised myself if I filled a WHOLE month of daily exercise then I'll buy myself a pair of novelty socks.

So my goal to exercise is actually a bunch of smaller goals and treats. If I don't run then I'll dance. If I exercise I give myself a gold star. 31 gold stars and I get a new pair of socks!

It sounds really silly right? But if it works then It's not silly. It's actually brilliant.

Start off with just 1 minute of excercising, it can be walking, jumping jacks, pinwheels, anything, with that mindset i think to myself that 1 min is easy, i can do it and i do, i then slowly increase my time to a pace i'm comfortable with and what excersise im willing to do

Start with something small, like a 5 minute sun salutation (yoga routine). I reserve running for the weekends, since I don't have the time for it on weekdays. I learned it's easier to start small than to overwhelm myself with big activities at the onset.

Try your best to not burn yourself out when you go to the gym. I know for me, especially in the past when I was first getting started, going to the gym felt like such a huge chore because I thought I had to run for 30 minutes straight or lift the heaviest weights or whatever. Instead of doing that, start really small. Just go for a 5 minute run on the treadmill instead of 30. Try lifting lighter weights. That way, you aren’t associating the gym with pain and difficulty. Then once you’re comfortable, up the intensity a bit. Your whole goal should be to create the habit of working out, not necessarily getting in shape quite yet. Once you get the habit in place and strong, your fitness goals will follow.

If you really don’t feel like going to the gym, just do some yoga or push-ups and sit-ups at home. Don’t use up too much of your willpower or you’ll burn out. Also, don’t let a skip day throw you off. Rest is good, especially when you’re first getting into working out.

Good luck! 🙂

I make exercise part of my day or I can’t stick to it. Walk to work, meet a friend at the pool or I’m lucky enough to have a Pilates class at my place of work so I actually have to go out of my way to avoid it. Good luck with your new habits.

I like to exercise but i also need to add it to a afternoon. I get a quick 10min exercise at home in morning then i go to the gym after work. And the reward is hot tub and steam room.

No one hates exercising. You are just letting your laziness win by saying that. All you gotta do is first understand that the root cause is your laziness and do something about it. If you are following everything this app is telling you, it should be easy…

This is a common issue and the fact remains that if it is your morning routine then it should be completed as close to schedule as possible. What motivates me is when I say I want to complete something-goal oriented, I intend to finish. No if ands or what ifs. People waste time too much time thinking than doing.

I know it's gotta be done so I just knock it out of the way. Plus, the added health benefits and stress relief is nice too lol there are times where I don't get around to exercising until later. Some times it happens before noon. I think just intergrating exercise into your day is good for a start. Realize that other unhealthy habits will still exist but will get phased out.

I try to reward myself for exercising and start small. For example my boyfriend just got be this beautiful promise ring that I can’t wait to wear it (for you may be a necklace or clothing or even maybe brushing your teeth). I have set in my mind I cannot put on my ring before I drink my water, eat a healthy breakfast and then do 5 squats. Then when I’m up for a challenge I do 5 more and keep adding when I want to. But I also forgive myself if I can’t take that time to excercise and then just make sure to take the steps! Hope that helps!

Do you hate exercising, or do you hate exercising in the morning? If you just hate exercising in the morning, don't make yourself do it early. It's fine to exercise in the afternoon or evening. If you hate exercise in general, then it could be the actual exercises you're doing. If you despise running, try weights instead. If you hate weights, go for a walk. Find what works for you. And don't ever feel like you're not "really exercising" because you have to do a scaled down version of a move or you're not doing "enough." The best exercise is the one you'll actually do. And it doesn't have to be a big routine you set aside time for. Do some squats while you're brushing your teeth. Do a couple elevated pushups against the dryer while you're waiting to take your clothes out. Walk in place during commercial breaks while you're watching TV. You can fit in exercises into a lot of places in your daily routine. Exercise doesn't have to be awful.

I know exactly what you mean 😊 My husband coxes me and always says it will only take 5 minutes then it's done for the day!

Unfortunately, I do the same! I’m hoping that by introducing the excercise habit to an every day basis will help me slide into proper routine when I have work to get to beyond beginning my day. It can also help to launch the morning ritual and stick to the timers rather than just ticking habits off of the listas you complete them.

I exercise in short doses, and I try to incorporate it into the rest of my morning routine. Like 10 squats while I’m brushing my teeth, then do lunges on my way to the kitchen to make coffee, etc. Breaking it down like that makes it easier to incorporate because just telling yourself to do 10 squats is so much less overwhelming then trying to get myself to work out for 30 minutes.

Keep small goal don’t make it to painful do what you like only push little at time. If you enjoy then more likely to do it.

I play Pokemon GO and go for a walk around my local park. Im more motivated to play the game so I actually want to go out so I can make progress. Find something you enjoy that you can only do while exercising like listening to a certain playlist, playing a game or daydreaming–but make them things you want to do, and exercising is just the wall between you and those things.

Do less. Cut your ambitious plan down by half, or even more, until you reach an exercise plan that feels easy. Instead of going for a 20-min run, take a 10-min walk. Instead of doing 50 sit-ups, just do a one-minute plank. If you start easy, you can make exercise a natural habit, rather than a daunting chore. Once the habit is ingrained, you can start to push yourself bit by bit to reach your more ambitious goals. But don’t begin by making the perfect the enemy of the good. Start small: find an activity that has little to no barrier to entry.

I have this same problem. What has helped me is making excercise the very first thing I do in my morning routine. Before brushing my teeth or making my bed, I’m on my yoga mat.

I need to lose weight to feel more comfortable but I found that evening is not my time for exercise because if go out on that day I couldn't able to do it so morning is the right time for me

I usually just think of how much better I will feel afterwards. You know, that lovely feeling of confidence and satisfaction! ^-^

First have a lukewarm water with half lemon or black tea with ginger and lemon and make your body realize its a morning.I would suggest to prefer Running week 1 amongst fabulous app for first two week …. will surely work to build up a habit.

Give yourself a treat that you wouldn't otherwise. I don't normally eat sweets but I would buy a bar of dark chocolate and have have two pieces of it after dinner IF I worked out that morning. If I didn't I didn't get that treat. The treat has to be something you actually want and something you don't normally have. After exercising becomes a habit, it really does become something you want to do because your body feels better. There are also certain hormones released with exercise that make you feel good. Until you get to the point where you are craving exercise because your body and mind knows how it benefits you you have to force yourself to do it and then reward that behavior so you look forward to the treat. Be sure to celebrate every victory and over time your brain rewires itself to see exercise as a positive good thing. It definitely took me a couple months but now I love exercising first thing. Use to hate it!

Find yourself a reward after. Celebrate. Write down your goals and why you want to make exercising a habit. Maybe even take a few steps towards making exercising a breeze, like creating a fitness playlist full of motivating songs.

The best motivation I can give myself is looking after myself beforehand. I can't exercise if I've had 4 hours sleep or a crummy breakfast. So rather than hammering out the willpower I try to make it as easy as possible by preparing my body and treating it well enough so that exercise doesn't take the life out of me 🙂 Also by knowing I will be "free to move on with my day" as soon as I get it over with!

Just do it. Make it part of your brushing teeth routine. As soon as you finish teeth, go exercise. Don't think about it, just do it. Give it a try. Because exercise will make you feel mentally better and also your body will be healthier and more attractive. Remember that no one ever regreted making exercise part of their daily routine. You'll love yourself more, you'll love life more, you will start to love exercise too. I'm confident.

I always try to do my least favorite thing first. I have more motivation to get it done faster so I can move on to things I enjoy. I used this mindset with exercise but over time I found I love moving in the mornings and it clears my head for the rest of the day. The rest of my day I don't spend dreading my workout.

Start small and maintain that until you build up the habit. Exercise can be very minimal like going up and down the stairs or walking around the block or doing a five minute exercise routine at home. Then slowly increase that if you will.

Firstly I remind myself why I am doing it. Secondly, I imagine what kind of effect the exercise will have a few months from now if I continue doing it. And thirdly I know it will not last long, so I can go against my laziness for 15 minutes 😉

Motivating myself to exercise.
Exercise is the second thing I tackle on my list. Drinking water upon rising is first. It sounds simple but you just have to start doing it. I have never been an exercise enthusiast. I have not had a regular workout for more than a few weeks over 40 years. I detest gyms! Never go. Still don't.
But my body changed and I realized that I have more living to do, more that I want to get done.
The problem with beginning to exercise is that it feels awkward and almost useless. You feel like you are flailing aimlessly. That is the muscles that have been trained to do nothing trying to keep doing nothing. They are your muscles. You taught them to do nothing. Now teach them to do something. Look at it that way. They will begin to come around right about the time you want to quit. Don't! You want to get to soreness. That's the point of resistance from those muscles that you want to get past. You will feel it when you do. It happens quicker than you think. It is subtle. First no more soreness. Then you will notice simple daily physical tasks are easier. If you have really committed to changing your mind to change your body this is when you will realize that you are accomplishing just that. That is when the exercising becomes its own motivation. The workout becomes routine. You'll really know when you want to add to it. It becomes a steady cycle that benefits you. Good luck!

I go to sleep in my workout clothes and keep my sneakers beside my bed. I also use the fabulous app which encourages me to go straight from one morning habit to the next. I don't like most exercise myself, but I know it's good for me and that it will make me more beautiful inside and out. That is a motivating idea. I also have grown to take pride in that sore feeling you get after a good workout, and I take pride in the advantages of my body. Some people have a high metabolism and are naturally gifted for cardio. Some have a lower metabolism so gaining muscle is easier. I like to revel in the hand I was dealt. I also read a book called "The Motivation Myth" which kinda says that motivation is really just self confidence and a sense of achievement. You just need to get far enough for your hard work to propel you forward.