Exploring Exercise Motivation

Exercise is important for both our physical and mental well-being. In fact, regular exercise has been backed by research showing that it improves anxiety, depression, stress, as well as overall mood levels.
Despite the known benefits of exercise, it can often be challenging to find the motivation needed to start exercising. What motivates you to exercise? Here are a few reasons that might resonate with you:
- Wanting to feel better physically or mentally.
- The feeling of accomplishment after completing a workout.
- The social aspect of exercising with friends or in a group.
It is essential to explore our exercise motivation and discover ways to maintain a consistent exercise routine. Here are a few questions to explore your exercise motivation:
- In what creative ways have you added exercise into your daily routine?
- What helps you when you don't feel like exercising?
- Have you experienced the benefits of exercising with a group or partner? How did it impact your motivation and accountability?
Am trying to find the motivation. And the discipline to go with it... Not easy to do when you have chronic pain (headaches) & tendinitis. I'm open to any good suggestions on this.
@slowdecline48
This helps some people with tendonitis:
https://www.google.com/search?q=ECCENTRIC+EXERCISE+FOR+TENDONITIS
@7motivation Thanks. It looks like calf raises in 15-rep sets, basically. Appreciate the pointer.
@slowdecline48
You're welcome.
The link above shows the most popular search results for eccentric exercise for tendonitis in general. Over 207,000 results!
Eccentric exercise is supposed to be very effective for some people with tendonitis.
The top search result listed just happens to be for a certain type of tendonitis.
Look lower for other types that might be more appropriate for you.
Also click the question links Google provides on the search results page. They are also helpful for seeing quick insights on related topics on tendonitis. The more you click, the more additional topics will appear below.
I find that clicking the question links is a fast way to get very quick insights when searching for answers with Google.
Good luck.
@slowdecline48You know I look at your username slow decline for eight and I was thinking what would be the opposite fast incline but it wouldn't be 8 4 because that means you would be 84 I'm I'm guessing instead if you were to put forth the most of the most of yourself physically mentally and health-wise you would absolutely achieve in the next 5 years a massive ratio in percentages and differences of your body how you feel and the progress of doing it everyday is exactly what people should be focusing on at the time is now I didn't have the knowledge I have today and as a child I watch my grandparents go through that exact subject slow declination and it's hard because you start giving into the resting side of it and then you start telling yourself that you can't do it it hurts too bad and then you feed into the excuses and then you remain a slow declination You should make a new account and literally go choose fast inclination 48 anyway I'm here I'm here if you ever need me that I'm kind of new to this this community is exploded since the last time I've been here and I look forward to any feedback prayers and thoughts have been sent. 🙂❤️🚸〽️ By the way it's very nice to meet you You can call me ~Link~
@commonlink 
@SoulfullyAButterfly
What gets me motivated to exercise is music. Interstingly enough, I work out 7 days a week. Lots of energy to burn. Lol.
@SoulfullyAButterfly Basically, the below will sound a bit blunt, but I’m just remoulding what Mark Manson said in his book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F” and what I’ve found works for me.
The only trick for me is to understand that motivation is irrelevant.
Make it a habit, and do it.
That’s all. If you rely on feeling motivated you're never going to do anything.
I like this idea a lot, I never feel motivated and have struggled with executive function due to that, pressure to self motivate has followed me through life. I may check out that book, thank you!
@SoulfullyAButterfly
1.) In what creative ways have you added exercise into your daily routine?....As a Fitness Instructor and Nurse, I know the importance and impact of it on Both our "Physical & Mental Health". And how important it is for our Overall Wellbeing (as it all goes hand in hand). I don't think I ever really had to get "creative" in adding exercise/workouts. Its really just about "Making the time" for it, and incorporating it into my schedule/day
2.) What helps you when you don't feel like exercising? Honestly, ... "Self Talk/ Self Motivation". I have a FITBIT which helps to keep me accountable in my goals. I have Step Goals and Calorie Goals to meet each day... So Its motivating to get it done and out of the way and I tell myself/remind myself that I have to meet those goals that I set for myself.
3.) Have you experienced the benefits of exercising with a group or partner?... How did it impact your motivation and accountability? Yes, As a Fitness instructor (and a student in others classes), Group Fitness has been Very and Highly motivating to me in my journey. Whether teaching my own class or taking one, being with others is very inspiring and helps keep accountability...... Or simply taking a daily walk with my Pup (or hubby) helps me to stay accountable as well.
@PoliteOcean Very well planned! 100!
@SoulfullyAButterfly
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In what creative ways have you added exercise into your daily routine?
None at the moment, possibly singing along to the music as I reflect
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What helps you when you don't feel like exercising?
Trying to remember to have conviction in my daily physical health in the morning
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Have you experienced the benefits of exercising with a group or partner? How did it impact your motivation and accountability?
N/a
@SoulfullyAButterfly Running is a way for me to deal with my emotions and take some of the academic pressure out. So usually when I'm angry or my brain is tired is when I have the most motivation
- I add exercise with my standing desk. I march while I work. I also have a free weight in my living room near the kitchen. While food is cooking and doesn’t need my immediate attention, I will do a set.
- I remind myself that it took a lot of work to get where I am now, and Tomorrow Me will be very angry if Today Me was being lazy. I don’t want to annoy my future self so I work on it today
- I was in the Marine Corps and this works to be competitive while working out with others. Now I am disabled so having the mental stress of wanting to be physically competitive while being physically unable would be too distressing and make me feel like a failure, so I resumed exercising alone.
Working outside in the yard can be good exercise. If I lose interests, it helps having someone to do it with. Having someone who will ask you to exercise, keeps you on track.
@SoulfullyAButterfly what helps motivate me is I want to embody how strong I feel mentally, and I want to represent that physically. My dad helps me with lifting, so that’s something we share. I’ve had a bad relationship with my body, but I slowly started to feel better about it. I do it because I know it’s good for me, mentally and physically, it’s something to do, I feel good after, builds my confidence, and helps me focus on the rest of my day better
@SoulfullyAButterfly Finding classes and a gym I like is a big part of it. It feels much easier to stay motivated and workout hard when you have an instructor telling you what do do, helping out, and a bunch of other people doing it with you. Plus classes can be fun too, like Yoga or Dance to balance out the more intense weight lifting ones.
I also always let myself have long relaxing showers after, so the gym becomes part of my mental health wind down routine.