How to get motivated to exercise

I'm having a hard time getting into exercising. I know I should do it and for days I will be faithful and then I get lazy. I think it gets boring and then I don't want to do it anymore. Has anyone got a idea?

You Got To Mix It Up!! Don't keep doing the same ole excercises day after day...Try Belly Dancing, Kick Boxing, Tae Bo, or become one with nature GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!! Ride a bike, go for a walk/stroll, RollerBlade, do some yard work,and if that doesn't keep you motivated join a gym and get yourself a Personal Trainer. Diva

Sandy, 1. I make my own tapes. 2. I read the profiles of the biggest losers around here. 3. I commit to meet someone else and walk together. 4. I look at pictures of myself from last Christmas. If that last one doesn't have me strapping on the walking shoes, then I'm already dead! Also, I put myself in situations were I have no choice. IE: My wife drops me off a miles from work. I kinda hafta finsih that walk, lol! After about a week, I'm watching the clock, waiting for noon so I can take my 40 minute jaunt around the neighborhood. Blessings! -Perry 358/325/272/200 Perry P. Perkins Christian Novelist Just Past Oysterville: Shoalwater Book One Read chapter one - (www) perryperkinsbooks.com

Sandy, Add a little bit wherever you can. Once you feel up to it, start parking far from the entrance to stores. Go to the mall, A big one and try to see what is in every shop that might interest you. If there is a beach or lake nearby, take a mini-vacation to there. You can walk further on a beach because it's hard to tell how far you've gone, when suddenly you realize you have to walk back. I don't know what stage in you're post-op you are but start slow and build. Walking is always great. A little bit more each week will do the trick. Don't think you have to be doing "Winsor Pallattes." Just get some motion. Dx

I have a few ideas for you, mostly related to the exercise of walking. I choose this because it doesn't require a whole lot of prep to do, and I can do it whereever. -Do not start walking/running without seeing a doc, or and other exercise, for that matter. Things that helped me start exercising were: -start slow- go only 7 or 8 minutes out and then walk back. Don't worry about speed, just distance. At first you will be going 15 miles. Advance only a few minutes (3 or 4) a week. That means, plan on going two minutes longer one way, you will walk back the other two minutes. -Use a car to find some routes that aren't too steep and mixed uphill and downhill. Figure out landmarks to tell you where a half mile is, a mile, etc. Find a few routes, some easier, some harder, so you have a choice. - getting a good pedometer- one that both will give you info about your times and distances for a single day, and one that will give totals. I use one called Sportline 350. It is good to watch the totals go up, and so when you get bored of it in a couple of months, you can look up the totals and find you have walked 75 miles or so. It is a confidence builder, for sure. - get a calendar and some good stickers to paste on your calendar after you do your walk everyday. Make sure the stickers are favorites. It helps keep motivated. - get a good walkman which plays tapes. At most libraries, you can check out all sorts of books to listen to while you are walking. Good mysteries have an extra impact on my walking distance! They make the walk more entertaining and keep your mind busy when your body is. - stretch, stretch, stretch. Do not go overboard or you can hurt yourself. Then it is even harder to get started exercising. - Plan for special rewards when you reach walking milestones. Some special activity at 10 miles, 25, etc. totals. -Now, about the boys. I get names called at me sometime, when I am exercising. I have been more clever about when I walk and make it during times teenagers are less likely to be driving by creating problems for me. However, it is going to happen, and it is going to make you pissed off or make you cry. Dont Give up! Let us know how you are doing!! Lauri

About the teenagers and things I don't go out and do walking during the day or anything, I wait until night time to do that, I know that doesn't really make a difference, but I get embarassed to go out during the day and I feel I am more invisible at night...don't know what I was thinking. But I can also drown out the noise by using headphones. That helps. annie

Sandy, my suggestions have mostly been addressed above. I'll repost the ones that have helped me the most though: 1. I started out VERY slow. I told myself, "I will only walk to the end of the driveway and back - that's all! I can do that and it'll only take a few mintues out of my whole entire day." If you give yourself easily achievable goals until it is a craving or habit it will be manageable. Maybe right now it just feels too overwhelming to tackle? 2. I also get dropped off a mile from home. This is great cuz you have to get home! 3. Music sets the mood and pace. I get BORED without it. I picked up a walkman from a yard sale but would love to eventually invest in an mp23 player. 4. My pedometer is my movtivator. I check it at noon and if I don't have at least 5,000 steps (I jog in the am) then I go for a quick walk after I eat lunch. Then again in the evening I check it and that determines if I go for a mile walk or a 3 mile walk.... I make myself get in at least 10,000 steps a day. I track them on the calander to see my achievement. It is great. Whatever works for you stick with it - because long term weight loss/maintence is difficult without activity. Best of luck WLS buddy!

The best solution is to find a group of woman who will walk with you. I had a group of 8 of us who walked religiously for about 7 years. Unfortunately I moved. But, it was wonderful. We would yap so much the time just flew. One of the kids use to call us 'the walkie talkies'. The other great motivator is to think about how you feel right away. I know there are unbelievable long term benefits to exercise, but the short term ones are what gets me out there everyday. After sweating (fairly strenuous exercise) for 20 minutes you should notice that you feel WONDERFUL. That is due to endorphines that your body produces. That feeling should last a few hours. Then, you will continue to notice a higher level of energy throughout the day. I can tell if my husband exercised in the morning by looking at him at around 9:30. If he is asleep on the couch I know he didn't exercise! If you have trouble sleeping at night, you will notice that problem disappearing. If you are under a lot of stress, you'll notice you feel much better. The bottom line is to NOTICE how you feel. Exercise has thousands of short term benefits, but you have to try to find the patterns. I know I will have a better day if I exercise. That is what gets me out there. Karen