What Motivates You to Hit the Gym? Tell Us, and Win a Free Book!

What motivates me , several things. First and foremost I use to weigh in at 298. I am much thinner now and I look better. I keep a picture of myself at my heaviest and look at it often, and yes I have one on the frige. Second the pain I have suffered for years eases by keeping up better muscle tone. Third I really enjoy the challenge of getting a little stronger each time. And finally I suffer from depression and making myself do exercise 3 X weekly improves my mood ten fold if not more. I like everything about hitting the gym !!!!

What motivates me is finding the next new thing I'll be able to do.


When I first went to the gym this past July I couldn't run a mile without thinking I was going to have a heart attack. This past weekend I ran a mini marathon.

When I started going to the gym I could barely tie my shoes while sitting down. Now I'm putting my palms on the floor while standing thanks to yoga.

When I first started going to the gym, I couldn't do a pull up. I'm now rock climbing, pulling myself up whole walls.

When I first started going to the gym, I was on medications for acid reflux and for circulation problems. I haven't had to take the pills for either in months now.

When I first started going to the gym, I had just bought the largest pair of pants I'd ever owned. I've now repurposed those pants into my gym bag, so I'm reminded of where I came from every morning when I load it up to head out to the gym.

Nothing motivates me.

Motivation is hard, but having no motivation is harder. For several months I have gone 3-4 times a week-- except February has beed hard with the weather. I just know I'll feel so much better

Motivation can be difficult for me because I live with chronic health issues. I think the thing that motivates me the most is wanting to be around to celebrate my writing successes and the successes of my family.

As silly as it may sound, I tell myself, "Go to the gym and look around. You don't have to exercise." When I get there, I tell myself, "Okay, now do 5 minutes on that treadmill. Remember, you can stop whenever you want"

An HOUR later, I get off the treadmill. Reverse psychology works for me. I trick myself every time :)
That and the fact that we have a history of heart disease on one side of the family.

Unfortunately we can't 'catch' motivation from anyone! I have been motivated by a few others to get up and get moving, but then it comes to just me.

I recently realized how I have medicated myself over the years with food. As one who is a perfectionist I fed my self-pity at not being perfect! Go figure.

I am now motivated by my desire to live a full and active life. I have so many things yet to do and so much to accomplish, I don't want to be encumbered by poor health nor do I want my life cut short beause I choose not to do what I need to in order to get and stay healthy!

My motivation for hitting the gym comes from soon to be my four year old daughter. My wife is into scrapbooking and had just completed my daughter's Birth to first birthday scrapbook. I was about forty pounds lighter at the time of my daughter's birth than I am today. This did not go unnoticed by my daughter, who noted the following while looking at photos of her baptism, "Daddy, you sure are a lot fatter now."

Needless to say, the workout regiment started that very evening.

well the main thing that motivates me is the fact that if i don't I won't be around to watch my son grow up. Add that on to the family history of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes and I try to do more.
Mainly it all adds up to being there for my son.

Unfortunately I don't have time or the money to go to the gym, but I motivate myself by remembering how horrible a Fibromyalgia flare up feels. Regular stretching, exercise and healthy eating habits help my syndrome tremendously, so knowing this is my motivation.

We have a heavy bag at home that is beneficial to me, and I take the time to walk around our neighborhood with my toddler while my older children are at school. Even just minimal activity makes me feel better both physically and emotionally, so this is something that is important to me and my family.

As a stay at home mom with two young children, ages 7 and 4 my kids are what motivate me! I want to be happy and healthy so that I can enjoy every part of their life. I want to be able to run and play with them without getting tired.

In January 2007, I made a life changing decision to eat better and start exercising. Due to the fact I'm a stay at home mom without any childcare resources available, I work on my own instead of at the gym.

In 2007, I managed 20 lose 30 pounds and go from a size 18 to a size 11!

I walk every single day, I use my weighted hula hoop, my elliptical machine and my exercise ball.

My goal for 2008 is to lose atleast 20 pounds!

Another motivator for me is my husband! I want to weigh LESS than him! :)

Going to the gym is just too expensive so I do other things to say fit. I walk a lot, use a treadmill at home.

I just enjoy being about to move without aches and pains so I guess I motivate myself.

I am loving the responses here. J Corn, I am sooo with you. I tell myself the same sort of stuff when I'm dragging my feet. And Bridget, that was one of my goals, too. Now I do weigh less than my husband, so I've altered that goal.

I did not need motivation to go to the gym when my kids were younger and at home. The gym provided excellent free child care. :-) Going to the gym was MY treat/reward.

Now I set short term goals, such as "I want to lose a pound a week for the next five weeks" and when I'm tempted by food or tempted to not take a walk, I say to myself or out loud, "I have a goal and I'm going to reach it." "This elevator is NOT my goal." "These chips are NOT my goal."

Self-talk. It can be a struggle to achieve positive self-talk, but what an accomplishment when you do!

My mother died of a heart attack when I was 10-years-old. I look at my children and think what their life would be without a mother. That's all it takes, my bag is acked and I am on my way to the gym.

health, timing, desire to wear clothes that fit..

I quit smoking cigarettes, still smoke free
health push me over to deal with that addiction, so glad to be a x- smoker
Thank you for keeping us informed always D......................................

I have not started a gym program yet, but this is something I would like to pursue in the future. My motivation would be time for "me." I desperately need to plan time for myself as a stress reliever.

what motivates me is simple...I look at my children and I want to be there for them not just today but tomorrow and in the months and years to come. Life and health are fragile as I've come to discover and I'm about to leave this world without doing all in my power to help myself in the process.

My cholesterol numbers--I started taking fish oil and flax seed oil and my cholesterol went from 299 to 179 within two months. Excercise will help keep those numbers low; and my weight low as well.

The bottom line: I want to dance at my children's weddings. They are 17, and 14.

The way I feel if I don't go to the gym is what motivates me to keep going. If I don't go I feel sluggish, lazy, depressed and just down right bad...so the way I feel keeps me motivated to go to the gym.

My squash-maniac husband loves the gym as much as I hate it, so I have found alternatives. First I love dancing, so I am taking Tango lessons. Believe it or not, after an hour and half of dancing you can build up a sweat. I also walk a 3 mile trail with friends, which means after walking three miles up we have to walk 3 miles back. Your circulation is going by the time you return and your feet hate you, but it's also a good work-out. I'm still working on the weights, which is harder (if more boring) to do at home. I may need the gym for that.

I want to be around for my grandkids. I used to work out regularly and over the last 18 months, I have lost the motivation to get to the gym 6 days a week. Spokane has an annual 12K run/walk, Bloomsday, and I have done it nearly every year. So I need to start walking to be able to complete it again this year. It's the first Sunday in May.

I love to walk. Going to a gym sounds so boring, I don't even want to consider it.

nothing seems to motivate me.

What should motivate me: being overweight, wanting to live a healthy life, seeing my aunts and uncles deal with bad health due to being overweight.

Trying to stay healthy for my daughter is very important.

Photos of myself are definitely motivating.

Being a cancer survivor is motivation. I don't want to go through that again.

My dogs are motivation to move. They need to be walked and play catch and chase after being alone while I am at work. No matter how tired I am when I get home, they get me moving.

Kayaking and snowshoeing, even a brisk walk outdoors, are effortless and fun, while going to the gym can be drudgery. Glad to see the authors of The No Sweat Exercise Plan: A Simple Way to Lose Weight and Improve Your Health Without Spending Hours in the Gym are putting the emphasis on the last six words. A new red dress, one size too small, hangs on my closet door -- a reminder that I'd better get moving.

Excerce that's fun and interesting. Yoga does that for me and keeps me looking forward to doing it. Steve Ross, "Exhale," on the Oxygen channel provides humor and energizing/calming music to make it fresh and new.

Regretably some negative motivators come into play as well. When I get headaches from poor posture, I know its time for a session. Overindulgence in sweets and a little extra tightness at my thighs (pants too tight, come on ladies, you know what I mean!)give me that boost I need to know its excercise time. A slow down in energy does it too. Just remembering how good I feel after a workout is a great motivator.

I just joined a gym this last Friday, actually. What motivated me was wanting to truly experience life. I have a big vacation that I'm hoping to do next year down in Canyonlands National Park and it would be such a waste to get there and be too tired to actually hike around and see everything.

why do I go to the gym 5 days a week?


Actually, there are a few reasons why I do it, and it all has to do with the benefits of exercise. I do a combination of strength training and cardiovascular exercise. In my particular case, I do very little cardio and more strength training.


I don't train to bulk up, but simply to maximize the muscle I already have. Why do I keep doing it even though I claim to hate it?


Well, I might not like the gym, but I do like to exercise. And there are 3 good reasons why I keep doing it.

More energy
Improved mental state
Improved appearance

So, that is why I go to the gym. For those who do not exercise, I would recommend giving it a try for 30 days to see the benefits for yourself. I still hate the whole gym experience, but I do love to exercise. And I like feeling good.

What motivates me to go to the gym is that the pool is open - I love exercising in the pool, and if my gym did not have one, I probably would not go. I have been going for 5 weeks now and have lost 7 inches so far! 2 1/2 inches were off my arm - so using the equiptment in water seems to really help tone your arms. I have a long way to go, though!

I'd rather not get lymphedema. I understand what kind of trouble I could get in if I do not keep my left triceps toned.

I'm in a cancer-survivor exercise trial. It's fun, very centering. I got in the flexibility part, so I'm supposed to be in the control group. The main group is strength-training, which I hate, so I'm glad I'm in flexibility. We are asked to do enough abs that sometimes I even get sore. The yoga parts I already know though.

I also love yoga, but I have to fight through traffic and wonder if there will be a parking place at 24-Hour Fitness, so I haven't been going as much as I should.

I loved taking salsa at 24-Hour, and I took some hip-hop which I liked also. Kick-boxing is also fun, but I hate step.

I wish I could do NIA at 24-Hour, but they don't have it. It is wonderful, but expensive.

If there are small classes at a gym, you can get group bonding or make friends, and this is good. It was better when my neighbor and I could get our schedules in synch, but our work schedules are not working out, and her child-care and boyfriend issues are also a challenge.

I teach water exercise three times a week, which I know is also really good for me, plus I like getting the money, even though it is not much.

Thanks for the posting.

Though I must admit That keeping my weight down is very importat to me, the most important factor for me is to stay healthy. I want to be around for a loooong time, and see my four children grow and have their own families. Even if I'm tired I drag myself to the gym, and also do yoga three times per week.

Personally I think gyms are stupid. I can understand people who leave in large cities to go to the gym, as there are no other real alternatives (still a park may be better), but people living in not so urban areas, should always go to nature and exercise there! If you're overweight you may also give hoodia gordonii diet a try. If you have a chance, you might even do real physical work such as farming instead of working out...All the kilos you lift there will actually be of some benefit and won't be in the same place when you quit working, as opposed to if you were in a gym ;)

my daughter motivates me , or should i sat we motivate each other , we walk alot even when its cold out side ,

The thing that really motivates me to exercise....is the decision that I made to myself that I would exercise 4 X a week....30 minutes for a month And then when I get queezy...I remind myself to do what I said I would do. I like to be true to my word.
Another thing that helps it the fact that I am not getting any younger and my muscles will go to puddy if I don't use them.