What gets you to move when you think you just can't do it today?

morningstar

morningstar

Cathlete
When you are feeling sick, tired, emotional, hormonal, at the end of your tether, discouraged, what do you do to get past it and pick up the weights, or get on the step, or start kickboxing the @#%@#% out of things? What motivates you to get moving on days when you just don't want to get out of bed?

And when you just can't do it, just can't make it happen today, are you understanding of yourself, or do you feel guilty? Do you kick yourself when you're down, or treat yourself gently, like you would your friend or child?

P.S. Cathe, if you are reading this, I would love to hear your response to this too.
 
For me, its my patients. I'm a physical therapy student and i'm currently interning in a spinal cord injury unit. Training a patient to learn to use their body without their legs is very gratifying. It takes all of their strength to learn how to sit up in bed or transfer from their bed to their wheelchair. The amount of strength needed to learn how to do this idependently is enormous. So when i'm not feeling like working out or i'm having a crappy day and just want to curl up on the couch and eat cookie dough, i think of my patients and what they are going through and how they cannot/donnot have the choice wether they feel like using their legs that day or not.
 
I remember how I felt when I didn't do it at all, I remember the feeling I get from a kick a$$ workout, and I want to keep what I have accomplished, because getting here was so hard 4 years ago.....so I put on some great music, get on the step, or kickbox, or treadmill, and I always feel better in the end.

If I can't, I understand myself, and it's OK...that's what a rest day is all about...and if I want to take one, so be it. But, gentle? No...I usually want, and do take it up a notch the next day.
 
arwenlong said:
What motivates you to get moving on days when you just don't want to get out of bed?
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My dogs! They will stare in my face until I crawl out to get my running shoes on. If more time goes by without me moving they'll start chasing each other across my bed, "accidentially" :rolleyes: pouncing on me.
 
Visiting here really helps to motivate me when i don't want to workout. I also tell myself to just do it because if i don't i'll keep obsessing over it. If i'm really sick then i go easier on myself but if i'm being lazy i'd rather get off my lazy butt then feel guilty that i did nothing. I'm trying to work on this!:p
 
arwenlong said:
When you are feeling sick, tired, emotional, hormonal, at the end of your tether, discouraged, what do you do to get past it and pick up the weights, or get on the step, or start kickboxing the @#%@#% out of things? What motivates you to get moving on days when you just don't want to get out of bed?

Arwenlong...this was me today!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooooo tired and didn't want to workout! However....it is actually working out that gets me out of the funk. When I have moments like this I tell myself I will workout for 15 minutes...if after 15 minutes I am not feelin' it and want to quit, I can. Guess what....I have never quit after 15 minutes into it! ;)
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i know it sounds dumb, but i just think of how better i am for working out. i work with a bunch of petty ppl and i feel its the one thing i have over them even if they say working out is "so stupid just eat better". makes me feel stronger in body and spirit. i really get all the emotions of their dumb crap out of my system during a workout then i go to work with a clear head and their comments just bounce off me. they can't touch me i am unstoppable b/c i worked out LOL.

kassia
 
I know that for the most part (except if I am really sick) it WILL make me feel better. Kickboxing burns stress and frustration, and cardio in general will kick my butt into gear and wake me up, unless I'm off a miserable sleepless night. Normally, I tell myself I'll start and do the 1st section of cardio and then stop if I want. Most often, by the time the warmup is done, I'm good to go. And if I'm not, I think to myself, that I'm already starting to sweat, so might as well give it what I've got, and do what ever I have the energy for, even if it is a ton of modifying, but I feel better that I got it done.

Weights, however, take me a little more persuading to get into if I'm not into it. For wts, if I'm not feeling it, I will either do the whole workout, but go light, or skip sets. Do just the pyramid ups or down, or one or 2 sets of tricep dips instead of three, or every other rep instead of every one. That will normally get me thru.

And if I am REALLY, TRULY not feeling it, and can't bear to do it after the warm up, I give it up and go back upstairs, but that very rarely happens, maybe once or twice a year.

Nan
 
I usually tell myself I'll just walk 10 mins or I'll just do the warm up then by the time that is done I am running or wanting to finish the workout.. so "just" doing the warm up turns into doing the workout. Also the baby weight I have left to lose keeps me going.. all the clothing in my closeet that just barely doesn't fit.. so I remind myself I need to workout so I have someething to wear.. I refuse to buy new clothing.
 
When I'm just not motivated I do something easier than Cathe or Amy, I'll do Billy Blanks Favorite Moves or the original Turbo Jam Cardio Party. Both never fail to make me feel like moving once I push play because I know neither dvd will kill me phyically, but I'll get sufficiently sweaty. On those days, I figure if I can give a level 5 (on a scale of 1-10), that's good enough. In CLX, Chalene says ANY workout is better than NO workout and that's true!

Good luck!
 
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I walk the dogs in the morning--early--and the air usually gets me going but if that doesn't work I walk with Leslie. It used to be I would do step but those days are gone. My other choice is to put a DVD in and say I will just do as much as I can and then I usually finish the workout. But when I really can't face anything I take that as a sign to take a day off and NOT feel guilty. I really feel that is the key--to not feel guilty--because that lets you get back to work the next day. If I start to feel guilty, I don't want to deal with anything at all.
 
Some really good replies here. I always think of how much better I'll feel at the end of it. That's usually enough to get me started and once I'm doing it I forget how unmotivated I was.

I also often reach for a favourite on those days - it may be a Cathe or an easier one, just one that makes me smile.

And if I'm ill, I don't workout and don't beat myself up about it as I know I'll only make myself worse by exercising.
 
Shallow to say but I tap into the vanity factor. I think how great my arms look in the summer. I think how I like being a member of the "gettin' her done" exercise group. I remember how I like that I am a member of this small and unusual group. :)

And if that doesn't work, I figure it's a good idea to take the day off or do a light workout.

Great question!
 
I may do a number of different things from praying asking God to give me the stregth & energy I need to take car of my body. I may remember my body when I was almost 50 lbs heavier. Take a look at the picture of my FIL who died at the age of 60 of a massive heart attack & know that I am taking care of my body.
 
Cathe. I have a vast collection of DVDs by lots of instructors, but when I'm really not into it I pull out one of Cathe's. She just has a way of brightening my morning, & she's so much fun once you get into the w/o you wonder why you even had to think twice. :cool:
 
sparrow13 said:
Shallow to say but I tap into the vanity factor. I think how great my arms look in the summer.
And if that doesn't work, I figure it's a good idea to take the day off or do a light workout.
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This is me to a T!
I always play vanity card because during my "I dont wannas'" I could give a rip about inside health! :eek:~ I also take more days off than anyone I know but on my workout days (usually every other day) I kick some major booty... Feeling like I HAVE TO is a surefire way for all of it to go out the window for me...I take it one day at a time (although I do always have a rotation for specific goals)
 
Hey Laura

I just noticed your avatar - fantastic!

Also, your sig is now longer than your posts! :eek: Is there a competition for who can have the longest sig?!
 
Ronne said:
Hey Laura

I just noticed your avatar - fantastic!

Also, your sig is now longer than your posts! :eek: Is there a competition for who can have the longest sig?!
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LMAO! Does that mean my posts are too short or my sig is too long? :p

OK that was a pretty short post.............:D
 
I liked reading these responses. I think vanity is huge for me- I think of all the weight I have lost since my second baby was born and I REFUSE to go back to how I looked before- no way. I tell myself that consistency is what gets results. Plus, I like to be able to report to my check-in group that I got it done- accountability. Plus, I know I am a nicer person when I take the time to workout in the morning. Really, I'm nicer. ;)
 
I can't say if I have any trick for getting myself to do it if I'm THAT down in the dumps, but I definitely don't feel guilty about it. Just let the day ride and do it tomorrow. What's the worst that can happen?
 
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