Motivation for Working Out

I like my Beach Pilates DVD. I enjoy the scenery and the general atmosphere so I look forward to working out with it. I think everyone has to search until they find their own niche.

I workout at home. Cathe Friedrich and TaeBo are my go-tos (I hate treadmills). Cathe is TOUGH and keeps me in awesome shape.

My motivation? Looking in the mirror. No joke. I know that sounds arrogant, but I look good, because I work hard. Period. I have a lot of friends that never lost the weight after babies, or they're just lazy and eat everything they want. They look big...and older than they actually are!
So, that's what keeps me going when all I want to do it sit down. It's part of my life.

I have a treadmill in the playroom. I plunk the baby in her exersaucer, put on a movie for my big girls and run.

And my motivation? My husband agreed to help me (because I'm a SAHM with no income of my own) put away $10 for every pound lost toward a new wardrobe :o) Because my weight loss is slow (I'm nursing), it's only $10-20 per week and not a big strain on the budget.

I get up at 5:20 on the weekdays and get my workout in before anyone else gets up. I NEVER thought I would be a morning exerciser, but now I find it’s the only thing that works for me. After having 2 kids I was determined to fit back into my pre-pregnancy pants and feel good again. I started with Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. Check out the reviews on Amazon. Lots of people love it. I LOVE JILLIAN’S WORKOUTS. Most of them are only 30 minutes, but she doesn’t waste your time and you get a great, super-effective workout. It’s such a feeling of accomplishment, and in a week or two you will feel so much better about yourself and want to keep going! I’ve kept up my morning workouts for almost a year now with no signs of stopping! It seems like people either love or hate Jillian…my advice is to spend the 10 bucks on 30 Day Shred and see how you like it. Jackie Warner’s Xtreme Timesaver Training is a good one, too. I also have some of the 10 Minute Solution DVDs. Check out Amazon and Collagevideo.com for reviews and clips of any videos you might be interested in.

Also check out sparkpeople.com. I haven’t spent much time on there but it seems like there is a lot of good info and support. Good luck!

There is a workout called tabata. What it entails is you choose a workout (I use running and step climbing) and then do intervals. For 20 seconds you go as hard as you can, rest 10 sec then repeat till you get to four minutes. Sounds easy right? I thought so too, but it is really challenging and I have had really good results. I do that and mix in the P90X ab workout I stole from my husband, it's only 15 min long. Good luck!

I use the Kinetics Bands. They are resistance bands for your "core" area. I have lost inches using them. BTW, I am not a sales person for this company, in no way shape or form, but they are my dads fitness company and I love them. I have used them for five years!

The thing about them is that you can wear them while doing housework, walking, running, at the gym, at home...anywhere. I love wearing them when cleaning the house, walking and while doing videos in the living room. I don't enjoy going to the gym and this provides me time to get in a quick workout. 15-30 minutes with the bands is like 30-60 minutes without.

Here is the website...http://kbandstraining.webs.com/

If you have any of the new game systems there are a lot of fun new work outs out there. They motivate you, and give you the sense of working out with someone. A few of them will teach you something new and fun too, look for one of the new Zumba work outs, or one of the new dancing games. They are fun, and if the kiddies happen to come in, they can have fun doing it with you too!

My stair machine and free weights are in the family room in front of the TV. I record my favorite shows and save them for my workout time.

I take exercise classes once or twice a week. I work out harder in a group setting, and also find I work out harder on my own between times when I take a class regularly.

When the weather warms up, I'll plan a walking date with friends. Or I'll take my tennies with me in the car and walk at the park if I have time to waste between errands or while waiting for kids.

I get up between 5:15 and 5:30 in the morning to run on the treadmill in the winter. I know it's early, and if you would have told me I would be getting up that early to run, a year ago....I would have laughed in your face, then called you a liar!! LOL! But, I started having to get up early with my son, when he started middle school. I liked the morning calm, and enjoyed getting a workout in before the chaos of the day.

In the summer, I rollerblade with my daughter in a bike trailer (the trailer can pull behind a bike or has a handlebar, and I can push it). I love, love, love rollerblading!! I used to do it when I lived in Georgia - on a trail. Now, I live in a rural community, and have to rollerblade on the road. I'm going to get a pair of those all-terrain rollerblades Caesar Milan uses! I will also bike or run/walk. The trailer is great, because it functions in several different ways. My daughter has plenty of room- I put books, toys and snacks in there with her, and she's happy.

Once you start, and it feels sooooo good, that becomes the motivation to keep doing it. I will find a way, no matter what my schedule is- I will crave it, if I take too much time off. I hope that happens for you, too!

Good luck!!

I think there are online groups that you can join and log your workouts and get support. You might try checking out self.com to see if they have a group that would help you stay motivated and be accountable for your workouts. You could visit your local library and check out some workout DVD's you can do at home. Check out what adult exercise programs are in your area, usually they're pretty inexpensive if they're sponsored by the county or city, and they might have classes in the evenings or weekends if you're too busy at work during the week. I think it's great that you want to start working out! The benefits of a consistent exercise regimen--physical, mental, spiritual--are too numerous to count. Let us know how it's going.

My husband is making me run the track in our neighborhood with him at least 3 nights a week. When I say making, I should amend and say, strongly encouraging...he's not mean about it.

We take the jogger for my son and walk/run about 2-3 miles, it's brutal, especially in the Texas heat and I HATE running...but, I'm seeing results already and it's better than leaving them to go to the gym for a class or something which I always have mom guilt over.

We also take a 5 mile family bikeride every Saturday and visit my son's great grandpa, it accomplishes exercise, family time, and visiting an aging relative.

My DR. told me I need to drop some pounds for my health because it all starts with being over weight,this was on Monday have I started NO only because of a million excuses but I know I need to i'm short & have packed on some extra padding that doesn't need to be there i'am sick of looking like I do & am willing to change myself but the motivation part I have but the time I don't so in the mean time watching what I eat,when I eat,what I eat has to be done till I have the time.I don't have a gym memebership but if there is a discount with my health insurance i'll be getting one that way I can have some time to myself to focus on me dropping the extra padding.
The kids & I do go for walks we are outside most days but it's not enough to get me to break a sweat,get my muscles toned, lose weight

Staying motivated begins with how you think. I don't necessarily like exercise but I do get a certain high from being physically fit. My muscles and body just feel better.

I don't have a gym membership but I will do some jumping jacks, running in place or my favorite is turning up some dance music and dancing like a superstar dancing diva.

I have a treadmill in the laundry room. I have not been very motivated lately either, but I love Lesley S.'s idea! That would make me more accountable! Accountability is everything to me! If my Mom or husband asks me about how my working out is going, I don't want to let them down. Unfortunately, they haven't asked lately!

I sign up for 5K and 10K races and that motivates me to keep working out. There are several of them in this area. I get up at 5:30 2 mornings during the week and I workout 1 day during the weekend. That way I don't have to fit it in after work when I want to spend time with the kids. I take the dog with me running or I run on the treadmill in the basement.

At home with DVDs or pre-planned workouts (sometimes you can invilve your kids, sometimes that gets too dangerous), at work on lunch break (walk, jog, find an empty stairwell to run in). If you work out at work, I recommend bringing gym clothes, clean panties, baby wipes and a gentle body wash and spray, deodorant, and keeping small dumbbells, a stretch band, and possibly a jump rope. You can have a really intense 20 to 30 minute workout and clean up and still have time to eat if you have an hour lunch break.