I have always been one unmotivated by exercise. Throughout the years, this would change, usually in January, when I would be ultra-motivated, at least for a couple of weeks. My problem was that I had grandiose plans that could not be maintained. I should say, they could not be maintained by someone so out of shape like me.
All this changed a few years ago. I got an elliptical like I always wanted. Anytime I joined a gym, this was my go to piece of equipment. The problem was I rarely went to the gym. I didn't want my elliptical to become the cliched piece of workout equipment that became a glorified closet. I also was out of the habit of using it. There was no way I could work out for a 30 minute period like I thought was the ideal amount of time. After a few minutes, I would need a break!
This lack of physical endurance made me rethink my workout routine. There were two things I knew for sure:
1. If I didn't use the elliptical on a regular basis, I would always look for an excuse as to why I couldn't use it.
2. It would be awhile before I could manage 30 minutes without stopping!
This caused me to make a commitment to myself. I would use the elliptical everyday, no matter what happened! This way tough! There were some days I wouldn't get home until late at night and would have to get on the elliptical. I knew that if I used the excuse of being too tired, I would soon give up exercising altogether because I would always be too tired!
The other thing I did was starting small. I started with 5 minutes each day. Each week I increased the amount of time by 1 minute until I reached my 30 minute goal. Even when I was really sick I got on the elliptical - only this time, I gave myself permission to stay on for only 1 minute. I didn't want to get out of the daily routine of getting my exercise. After recovering from an illness, I would start back at the 5 minutes and work my way up to 30 minutes again.
Starting off at a lower level definitely let me start at a reasonable pace. I know it's important to vary your exercise routines. I also know my own body and the excuses I would use not to workout. I vary other forms of exercise but keep my time on the elliptical consistent. Now, I wake up early enough in the morning to get my 30 minutes in before starting my days. There are no excuses.
How do you get and keep yourself motivated to exercise?
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