[Rayne Selene]

Hey everyone!
I've been trying to exercise more, get in shape. I HATE running, but I like to walk with my dog, and I love yoga. I live near mountains, so hiking is an option when I'm not too lazy to get off the couch. I'm just wondering, what do you guys to do to motivate yourself to exercise? How do you work it into a busy day? What fun exercises do you do? I'd love to hear new ideas! Thanks

[Arther]

Originally Posted by Rayne Selene

Hey everyone!
I've been trying to exercise more, get in shape. I HATE running, but I like to walk with my dog, and I love yoga. I live near mountains, so hiking is an option when I'm not too lazy to get off the couch. I'm just wondering, what do you guys to do to motivate yourself to exercise? How do you work it into a busy day? What fun exercises do you do? I'd love to hear new ideas! Thanks

Motivation comes from within. You must calm your mind or you will aggravate yourself. Being calm will bring you to a state of zen making the experience more enjoyable. If you rush you will hurt yourself. I have seen it happen. I usually look for a nice day for a walk and enjoy seeing others exercise who don't look like they would. I'm a pretty cut guy but I always lose focus too. Having a partner helps.

[cool09]

I started swimming 5 yrs ago. (I'm 50 and lifted weights off/on since 20.) I've gotten in such great shape I can't believe it. I just do a quick 25 minutes/day. It's great cardio and it tones your whole body. I went from 35 to 33 waist in a short time, got rid of my extra middle weight really fast. Plus, swimming takes a load off of your joints so it's relaxing (not like running where your joints are stressed). When I worked I would make lifting a priority 4-5x week. Been on SSDI last ten yrs. Exercising is the best thing for my mood which is why I do it.

[SeekerOfLife]

I like Zumba fitness. I go when I can since work often interferes. I sometimes walk & take pix with my cell fone (it gets me out of my head). I do not exercise as often as I should due to work schedules.

[Ford Puma]

I know its an unlikely one but when I am in a muddle I hop on my bicycle and go for a 5 or 10 mile trek... especially when it rains. Nothing like getting home all wet and muddy.
Its a mountain bike and I live in the country 10 miles from anywhere.

[MotownJohnny]

I love a good, sloppy rain ride, too, Ford Puma. Nothing like it!

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

what do you guys to do to motivate yourself to exercise?

I want to lose body-fat. Every time I see myself, I'm motivated. I want to gain more muscle mass and definition, so again, every time I see myself, I'm motivated. Every day in which I see improvement, I'm motivated to continue.

How do you work it into a busy day?

Well, I recently started moving my workout to first thing in the morning, and I have to say, it's working well. I get up, brush my teeth, get my equipment setup, workout, shower, pack stuff away, and then carry on with the day, perhaps including more exercise later on, such as walking, or using my pullup bar, or just random pushups to kick my metabolism up the bum.

What fun exercises do you do?

Way too many. xD But I have ones I commonly do, at least at the moment, so I'll list those:

• Bicep curls
• Side arm raises.
• Forward arm raises.
• Pushups
• Situps
• Leg raises
• Crunches (don't really need these because I do situps and leg raises, plus I'm mainly focusing on the lower abs, at the moment, but I sometimes do them.)
• Cardio via my exercise bike. Varying exercises with the bike... I basically go steady at 4/8 or 8/8, or do sprinting. Just depends how I'm feeling and whether I'm going for more cardio or more resistance. Speeds can vary, too, as can length.
• Pullups via pullup bar (doorway kind) - not too familiar with the names, but at the moment, I'm basically doing chin ups, one is with the palms facing me, for the biceps, and the other is with my palms facing each other. It's quite a challenge, as I'm essentially lifting just under 220lbs.
• Shrugs
• Toe raises
• Squats
• Lunges
• Duck squats
• Sometimes jogging on the spot.
• Good mornings.
• Shoulder presses with dumbbell or barbell.
• Walking - I make sure to walk with wide strides and a fair bit of speed, even up hill, to really ensure I get a good mini-workout from it.

Probably more, but I think I've listed enough. xD

[Timgt5]

I personally have enjoyed Karate, there is a lot of variety in the aerobic and isometric exercises we do and there is a learning experience to boot, BTW I have lost 30 Lbs this year..

[norwegianwoman]

I hated running, too. Until I started the C25K-programme, which I am currently on - and realized the reason I hated running was that I was pushing myself too hard for someone unfit! I used to go running with friends who excercise a lot etc., and tried to keep up with them - it wrecked me and I didn't understand how anyone could like running. Now I have been running 3 times last week and also went running today and I love it so far! The programme starts off easy and let you do things at your own pace, you can also repeat a day if it's too tough for you. Having a programme, that counts minutes etc. for you, is much more motivating than just going out there to run.

I think it's a good idea to just try different stuff. Personally I am now in a phase where I want to try everything - roller derby, kickboxing, swimming etc. - to find something I like. My problem with swimming is that I honestly find it a bit boring. With running at least you can be outside and you can listen to music and so forth. But swimming is great in the way that you can swim a really long distance without even realizing it just swimming back and forth, it's a bit like cross-country skiing in that you don't really feel exhausted or tired at all until you finish.

[MotownJohnny]

I think you have to really find what exercise is your passion. If it's something you don't really enjoy or look forward to, you aren't going to stick with it. I found my passion in cycling - 7 bikes and a lot of miles on the road. I look forward to riding more than almost anything else in my life, and I'm always thinking ahead to "when can I ride" and "where can I ride". For me, it's a big adventure as well as exercise, I like to push my limits and see how far I can, and how fast.

[SoupDragon]

Cross-fit