Can't Stay Motivated to Exercise?

One of the biggest problems people have with exercise, is staying motivated. Just when you think you are ready to change your bad habits for good, days later, you realize the thrill is gone and you're bored with exercise.

While there are many reasons people have trouble staying motivated, I'm going to touch on what I believe are the most common...

Losing Weight For The Wrong Reasons

Some people only want to lose weight because they are comparing themselves to someone else. And if this is the case, your problem could be larger than just weight. Now we're talking about low self esteem.

When you compare your body to someone else's, you are essentially saying to yourself "I'm not good enough and I want to look like [that person]." And when that's how you truly feel about yourself, you'll find that the motivation to exercise doesn't last.

It's one thing to want to lose weight for your own health and well being. But if you are doing it because you hate yourself and would rather look like someone else, then you have the wrong kind of motivation that almost always leads to failure.

Nothing wrong with wanting to look good for yourself. The constant comparing is what gets you into trouble.

Pressure From Friends and Family

Loved ones often feel they are doing their family members a favor by teasing them or pressuring them to lose weight. They believe that if they pressure them enough, it will motivate them to lose the weight.

What many people don't realize is pressuring someone to lose weight actually has the opposite effect on them. It only makes the person feel worse and often times they turn back to eating the wrong foods and won't want to exercise.

If someone you love is overweight, it's important you encourage them, not pressure them. The last thing they need is someone they love harping on them about their weight issues. Society does that enough don't you think?

And if you are a victim of pressure by family and/or friends, it's important you let the people know how it makes you feel. And if it's a significant other who threatens to leave you if you don't lose the weight, it's time to evaluate whether or not this person should even be in your life (but that's a whole other subject!).

No Variety

It's important to find several different workout routines that you enjoy and mix them up throughout the week. Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day, or even every other day is bound to get boring after a couple of weeks (or sooner)!

One thing I do to keep my motivation up is alternate between going to the gym, walking around my neighborhood, and working out to the TV. If you have a digital cable service or satellite TV, chances are you have some sort of exercise channel you can watch for free.

The channel has pre-recorded workouts that focus on all areas and normally broken down into categories like: fat burning, cardio, weights, walking etc.

You can also view the length of each program. So if you're looking for a 20-minute walking routine, you can search the walking category until you find one that's suitable.

So be sure to check your cable or satellite provider's listings to see if you have a channel like this.