Motivation to exercise daily-help needed!

Dear friends of the forum,

                                     of late iam getting a wee bit-demotivated to sit on my exercise bicycle.I need real serious help to start pedalling away as iam getting depressed whenever i don't exercise.What methods do you folks use to keep up your motivation levels high and please share those tips with me.

                                                                              sharer

The best motivation (for me at least) is the feeling I get when I've put in a good work out; I'm proud of myself for sticking with it even though I didn't really want to, and I think about all the positive things that that particular workout has helped me accomplish (losing weight, lowering my blood glucose, helping my heart, etc.) as I'm showering and getting ready for class.

I find working out is easier the more distracted I am from the fact that I'm working out. So if I'm at home, I'll frequently watch TV. If I'm at the gym, I *have* to have high-energy music to keep me going. You just have to force yourself to get on your bike every day. Some days you'll be less motivated than others, and if you find that once you've been on it for a good 10 minutes or so and you just can't make yourself do it, then get off and go do whatever it is you'd rather be doing. I've also found that having a routine is key to keeping up with a regular exercise program, so I go to the gym in the mornings. It doesn't matter when you ride your bike, but if you can work it into your schedule around the same time every day and establish a routine, that should make it easier for you to just do it on days when your motivation is lagging a bit. You might also try adding different things to your workout for a little variety (I know I can't stand to stay on one machine more than about 30 minutes) or alternating activities (riding the stationary versus going for a walk) to keep from getting too bored or burned out.

Good luck!

Heather

Dear Sharer,

I recently read in an interview of Arnold Schwarzenegger that whenever he felt de-motivated, he tried to imagine himself at the juncture when he would have finished his exercises and standing tall with bulging muscles.

Similarly, Roger Federer remarked that whenever he has a problem in maintaining his grueling practice schedule, he just reminds himself of the picture of him in the center-court with the trophy in hand.

Of course, for a less aspiring athlete like me, the vision that future holds for me is less gratifying. Nevertheless, I imagine, I am in my early 50’s, I am strong and fit & as the people around me who has neglected their healthiness (read not exercised regularly & not eaten a healthy diet) begins to be in poor health, I stand strong among them because I have better prepared my body through the years. Hence, at the end, I WIN. Not only has the exercise and diet helped me live through my previous years well, but now it will also protect me from the harms of old age.

This by no means connotes that I am constantly wising the utmost injury to all my relatives and friends!

Regards,

AM_BD

Hi Sharer,

I've been exactly where you are now.  I can offer you the following suggestions that have kept me on track. Maybe you will find something here that clicks with you and is the key to getting on that bike.

1. Make exercising a habit – just like brushing your teeth or eating lunch every day, make your exercise routine an essential part of your life. You may not exercise everyday, but if you pedal say, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, then make these sessions an unbreakable appointment on your calendar. After all, it’s no accident that it’s referred to as an exercise “routine”.

2. Get a workout partner – having someone to train with can keep you on track with your exercise program. It’s a bit harder to back out of an exercise session because you just don’t feel like it when you know someone is waiting for you. What you may want to do is trade the exercise bike for a REAL bike and get someone to ride with and you can push each other.

3. Add a soundtrack to your workouts – invest in a portable radio, CD or MP3 player. Adding music to your workouts can add interest and motivation while your train. Up-tempo music works best, but any kind of music that inspires you is great workout music.

4. Reward yourself – some people need a little bribe to do things they are not ordinarily inclined to do; I know I do.  That’s OK, though; we all could use a small treat now and then! Try rewarding yourself with a warm bath after your workout (I adore the jacuzzi) or by watching your favorite TV show. Just be careful with rewards of the edible type – Lets not forget why you got on that bicycle to begin with!

5. View your workouts as a break from work – if you workout during your working day you can look forward to your workout as a break from your desk. A change of scenery and moving around after sitting for long periods is just what the doctor ordered! You will also feel rejuvenated when you get back to your desk.

6. Fantasize – when doing cardio exercises, like on an elliptical trainer or your stationary bicycle, you can role-play in your mind. Imagine yourself running the Marathon in the Olympics or cross-country skiing through snow-covered woods. It’s your fantasy, so knock yourself out!

7. Don’t ever forget why you workout! – This is probably the most effective technique for workout motivation and the single best piece of advice I can give you. You no doubt started your exercise program in the first place to loose weight, get in shape, or become healthier. Don’t lose sight of this reason! Remember it whenever you find yourself tempted to blow off a workout with a weak excuse.

I hope this helps.

 Warren

my problem has been in the exercise zone,but am strong on the food front.
i eat enough carbs and proteins just to keep the body and soul together,so my total calorie intake is on the catabolic side and am losing weight as such!
I know the many additional benefits of exercise but am afraid that even a 20 minute work-out may make me hungry and i may go crazy on the carbs!
I by no means am trying to avoid cycling,don't get me wrong there.
sharer

I factor in the glycemic index. The common belief it takes two hours for blood sugar to hit it's peak I stop eating wait 2 hours walk 3.0 miles per hour on an electronic treadmil,I do not eat than exercise another 20 minuter walking3.0 miles for 20 minutes on a tread mill. Ido this to derive the most beneif of my exercise. If I get hungry after dinner and exercising I eat only protein. What I meant to say is 1 wait 2 hour after eating exercise, don't eat wait 1 more hour than exercise again. Idea is to bring glucose from my blood to my cells and don't keep adding more glucose. It can get to be a vicious cycle, add glucose to blood exercise, eat , add more glucose to blood exercise eat , add more glucose to blood Get the Idea? It usually works for me more often than not  Other wise it is like pentence  Like paying for your sins 

Dear Warren,
thank you for putting me back on the exercise cycle and my thanks go out to Gallyndur and AM-BD.But my point is, today morning my fasting glucose was 82 mgs% and after 30 min. on the bike the value came down to 70 mgs%.A protein supplement did not satiate the hunger which i felt and i had to eat 3 glucose biscuits before i got rid of the hunger and felt better! Your advise?

My 2 hour blood sugars are never in a normal zone, maybe after 3 hours.  They're always bad my 2 hour tests. so I try to give them an assist I only eat 1 meal a day.small snack if hungry.  The whole problem is the cumulaive effect I can not be bothered how 1000 different foods effect blood sugar.  I time my carb intake, my med intake , my exercise routine.  I think timing is critical with this,you want to derive the most benefit from what you do.  .  I believe if you can't live on so much food per day, especially carbs, you'll never control diabetis or weight no matter how you want to slice and dice your food intake. Figuure it out with analytical logic.  I try to simplfy it.  I can't be bothered how 1000 different combinations of food effect by blood sugar.  I only eat protein during the day. People get in troubble with this because of omission. Not doing things they should be doing.  And they get in troubble with errors of commission. Doing things that they should not be doing.  It complications arising from errors of commission and errors of omission  BOTH!   Everybody does this different.  Sort of mapping out a route to California as long as you get there safely I guess. As in anything in life as long as you don't hurt others the only test is the results you can produce.  Steve Kreloff  A1C 12/05  6.0 HDL 77   LDL 68  TRYGLUCERIDES 55  TOTAL CHOLESTROL156  5FT 7 INCHES   143-145 BODY MASS INDEX 23 Never a diabetic complication diagnosed 7 years ago  Another thing I would never eat by the clock with this I eat how I feel.  You are not locked into any particular eating pattern unless you choose to be.  You need to work smart with this not hard  The smarter you work the less hard you have to work. Why would you want to do counter productive things. Maybe if you are on insulin you have to eat  I'm not on insulin. I mean how hard is it to raise blood sugar?. How hard is it to put on weight?.  Neither one is ever a problem.  I''ve looked into my the window of my body. My approach to this is alot different than most people with food intake.  Was breakfast, lunch, dinner  invented by humans to give people a reason to eat.?  You are overloading a system . Insulin utilization and thyroid stimulation hormones are the culprit Pattern behavior is one of the most difficutl behaviors to change.  Doing things automatically without thinking. I was as guilty as anyone. As Maya Angelou said "You did what you knew how to do and when you knew better you did better.  I know better now and I'm doing alot better. 

Post Edited (steven kreloff) : 1/9/2006 6:14:05 PM (GMT-7)