How are you keeping yourself motivated to exercise?

**Libby** · 10-21-2010, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by Squidge

This may sound a little kooky, but I've been following Paul McKenna's 'I Can Make You Thin' book for a long time (went off it for quite a few months and gained again

)and he has a visualisation technique in it which used to always motivate me to exercise practically everyday (I don't have time to do anything other than walk to and from work these days).

It involves imagining yourself in great shape and then stepping into that image, seeing through its eyes, etc. and imagining walking around like that and feeling what that would be like.

Now that I'm typing it, I think it might sound a bit

.

I don't think that kind of thing works for everyone, but it really works for me and did for about a year and a half!

I remember this guy - he had a special on tv here in North America.

**starsapphire** · 10-21-2010, 10:28 PM

How do I keep myself motivated to exercise?

I took a college class. They have a gym with weight and cardio machines and a weight room. I have to go 3x a week (an hour each time). If I don't, I fail the class. I took it for a letter grade so it will count towards my degree. And of course I "have to get that "A" (me & DH's inside joke)

How's that for motivation?

**Squidge** · 10-23-2010, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Libby

I remember this guy - he had a special on tv here in North America.

Really? I didn't realise he had done anything in America. I haven't seen any of his TV stuff, I'd like to check it out - I recommend him to everyone!

**Ashley01** · 10-23-2010, 08:19 PM

I have a hard time motivating myself but have been telling myself every morning when i wake up if i do it now I dont have to later! So far I'm 5 for 5, I just started Jillian Micheal 30 day shred

**moasmom** · 10-26-2010, 03:53 PM

What works for me is to find a type of exercise I actually enjoy, or at least, the effort makes me feel so good that I can't imagine going a week without it. This type of no-brainer motivation (as in, I don't have to think of reasons that I should exercise, but I know that I will feel so much better if I do it) is the key that unlocks my healthier self.

For me, the answer is pilates. I love doing it (OK, I don't always love every minute of it during but I love the "after" feeling and that lasts) and I love the results: better sleep, better mood, fewer headaches, fewer body aches and random pain, stronger muscles lead to easier chores around the house, etc.

Finding the workout that achieves all of those things for me means that I never have to work hard to motivate myself to exercise. The exercise itself does it for me. That said, it can be hard to find out what does it for you. But the best way is to experiment with classes (our local community college and adult school have great, cheap classes, including dance and all kinds of fun things), sports leagues, videos (Netflix has thousands of workout videos).

Kara