Friday, November 04, 2011

On finding motivation

Does anybody else lack motivation to exercise?
I mean, I always want to get in shape;
I identify the areas I want to tone,
pick out some cute workout gear, 
and then...

It's too cold outside, or the laundry needs to be done,
or I just walk a little bit when it was my intention to run.
Then I end up feeling lazy in addition to feeling out of shape.
Not a good place to be, 
especially since I'm married to someone who is
very motivated when it comes to his running.
And hello, I live in Boulder, 
mecca of all things fitness.

This week I may have made a breakthrough, 
or at least learned a thing or two about
what motivates me.

 I already posted about doing a costumed Halloween fun run on Monday.
It was really fun, and while I finished at the back of the pack, I wasn't alone. 
Being able to talk to others & start making friends helped me keep the pace.
Some folks there told me about another group run that meets on Tuesday nights.
I was a little nervous (I went by myself since Z was working), but they 
were so friendly & encouraging that 4 miles felt more like two.

Lesson: The social aspect of working out is key for me; the actual exercise is a bonus!

Since I can't do a group run every day, and I have a hard time running on my own, 
I looked to ExerciseTV to find something to do this week.
I get bored easily with workouts, 
but I saw the Butt Bible, and had to see what it was about.
It is definitely challenging, but the trainer is no-nonsense
and kept me motivated with her Russian accent.
My favorite gems from the workout include:
"Crack de nut with your cheeks."
and
"If it burns too much, ignore it. Is good."
It worked, though. I came back for another Butt Bible workout today.

Lesson: Sometimes I need an intimidating Russian woman to keep me going.

What motivates you to exercise?
Do you have any tips to share?

Oh, and let me know if you try the Butt Bible,
I'm so sore!

2 comments:

Diana Mieczan said...

My Balazs loves running as well but I simply cant get motivated by running. One thing that really works for me is swimming. We are lucky as our apartment building has an indoor swimming pool for all the residents. So I simply go down each morning for a hour swim. One of my friends just started pilates and she says its super motivating. Maybe you should give it a go. Hugs and kisses, sunshine. Have a wonderful start to the week. xo

Unknown said...

I always wuss out on exercising solo, too. The things that have worked for me before were always group classes: ballet, yoga, and Body Attack (an all-over toning class). But now I can't fit a regularly scheduled class into my routine because of working some evenings and going to class. Bummer!