Exercise! What do you do? How often? And how the b'jesus do you stay motivated??

I don't know either! I have started thinking about the importance of teaching DD that exercise has to be more or less daily, but I haven't actually translated that into sustained action. I do like exercising, but like you I struggle to get started.

I started Shredding at the beginning of September, with the idea being that I'd Shred every day /almost every day until my birthday in October. I managed the first 5 days, then stopped for 5, then 3, stopped for 5...Overall I did about 9 days in September. I did one session on Monday but nothing yesterday. The silly thing is, I really noticed a difference in my body in that time, and yet I still slumped and let it drop!

I exercise mostly at night - a typical work day goes: 5.30-6 - toddler DD wakes up and comes into bed with me for morning bf/snooze. 6.15 - get up, shower, dress etc. Out of the house by 7(ish). Work 8-5.30, with half an hour lunch (I can't change this because DH and I share a car and we have to work a 9 hour day plus pick DD up from nursery by 6). Home by 6.15, supper and bath for DD, then DD in bed at 7.15. Dinner. I then collapse on the sofa to let my dinner go down and usually get around to exercising at about 9.

So many things can put me off: having late dinner so I feel really full; it being cold so I don't want to strip off and get into my exercise kit; wanting a glass of wine with dinner; tiredness; having guests round; needing to do some housework...etc etc etc! I would much rather exercise first thing, but getting up early is really not my forte. Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays are my days off and although I tell myself I will exercise during DD's nap, I very rarely do. I worry that she will wake up when I'm halfway through (although this is just an excuse, and anyway, on Sat/Sun DH could look after her). I haven't tried exercising when DD is up (she's 18 months) - I think it would be hopeless.

Sorry for the essay!

I exercise first thing in the morning, which I find works best for me. I would struggle more if I tried to fit it in the evenings, when I'm more tired and just want to slump on the sofa. After a run or the gym in the morning, I feel energised and ready for the day. .

What keeps me going is that I'm in better physical shape than ever and I feel good about myself. I'm 35, and whilst I'm not trying to stay young forever, I do want to be as fit and strong as I can as I go through life. I have seen a lot of people begin to struggle with chronic ill health in their late fifties/early sixties and I think that not looking after themselves better in their younger years is a likely contributory factor.

Exercise also keeps me mentally fit and well - I am prone to anxiety and I find it's a good outlet for me. I really enjoy it when I'm up and out there - total natural high.

I exercise six times a week. I love running and it's my main focus - that's three times a week, mostly outside. It's good thinking time and very peaceful in the mornings. I do a long run on the weekend, a shorter hilly run in the week and some sort of interval session. I alternate runs with the gym, where I'll do a spin, a body pump or kettlebells class, and will usually go on the rowing machine and cross trainer.

I do some strength/resistence work most mornings, either at home or at the gym. This will be mainly press ups, sit ups, other ab work, and free weights. I also do some other exercises to strengthen my hips to ward off running injuries.

It might sound like a lot, but I've built up to it over several years of regular exercise now. I started doing just three or four times a week, and I felt great benefits just on that.

I think finding something that you enjoy is key! Especially in the dark, cold winter months. I'm sure most of us would rather curl up in front of the TV.

I'm currently doing Slimming World (lost 16lbs in 5 weeks) and really think exercise is helping my weight loss.

I play netball once a week and also do 4/5 (sometimes 6) exercise classes a week. Mainly zumba, bokwa and kettlecise. I absolutley love it and its never a chore. I also pre-book and pre-pay for the classes so I would never cancel (apart from in an emergency) as I would lose my money!

Motivation:
I like seeing my body fit & strong...so I suppose vanity.

Routine:
4x a week (Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu) at my gym 5min from my place.

Exercises:
20mins on Stairmaster at Lvl 10
30mins on Weght Machines (Leg Extensions/AB Crunches/Leg Curls/Shoulder Press/Chest Press)
20 mins on Treadmill at varied speed and inclines

As people have said up thread, routine is the key. I'm also in my gym kit as soon as I get up if I'm going and tend to go first thing in the morning. I do three Spinning classes a week, and swim or run if I have time.

What motivates me to keep going is the fact that my jeans feel tight if I don't go regularly (like through the school holidays) I also find it harder to wind down and get to sleep if I don't exercise.

I think if you can do a class with a friend or friends it really helps. Basically the only reason I keep exercising is because if I don't turn up at circuits or Pilates or the pool, someone will say to me "Didn't you have a swim/do pilates or circuits this week?"

Also if you can pay for a block of classes - not amorphous gym membership, but something smaller in a church hall type thing, with a friendly instructor who is obviously self-employed, then you are more likely to turn up, I think. Plus it's more fun than going to an anonymous modern gym building where people are rushing in and out of their classes. So, it may be more expensive in theory but you will care more and therefore turn up more often.

Also, it has to fit in with when you feel energised/are in that part of town/have kids in childcare.

Personally, the post-natal/injury/illness solution was for ds to be assigned the school a bit over a mile away with gridlocked traffic between me and it. So at a minimum I'm walking nearly 5 miles a day, often including some running with dd in the pushchair, and I can't skive off as ds needs to get to school.

Also finding agreeing with MrNC when is going to be me-exercise-and-bath time as we have complex timetables - sometimes he'll say he'll put the kids to bed so I can go run etc, but if I'm in I can do it myself and he'll do something else. Much as I love them, it's an incentive to exercise once a week! Sadly the classes in park 1 minute away stopped but there's now a class I can get to in a hall 2 minutes away, so even though it's something I can't fully join in for health reasons, I'm much more likely to get there than anywhere else.

Personally, the post-natal/injury/illness solution was for ds to be assigned the school a bit over a mile away with gridlocked traffic between me and it. So at a minimum I'm walking nearly 5 miles a day, often including some running with dd in the pushchair, and I can't skive off as ds needs to get to school.

Also finding agreeing with MrNC when is going to be me-exercise-and-bath time as we have complex timetables - sometimes he'll say he'll put the kids to bed so I can go run etc, but if I'm in I can do it myself and he'll do something else. Much as I love them, it's an incentive to exercise once a week! Sadly the classes in park 1 minute away stopped but there's now a class I can get to in a hall 2 minutes away, so even though it's sme

Seems like the key thing is having a strategy? anticipating things that might stop you from exercising and having something in place to circumnavigate the pitfalls!

I have dogs, so I have to walk for 90 mins a day. That is plenty for me, and rain or shine it has got to be done.

If I didn't have dogs I would not be bothered to go to the gym or any sort of classes, there would always be an excuse!

TBH, before my children were at pre-school, it was v hard. When I had DD, I used to do a Davina DVD in the morning when she napped, and then started training for a 5k run once I'd improved my fitness. I would also see a personal trainer once a fortnight or so to keep me going (knowing I was seeing him, kept me running in the meantime to show I hadn't slipped in between sessions).

After I had DS, I can't actually remember what I did, if anything - probably the odd jog as and when I could (ooh, just remembered, bought a Wii fit). Once DS had started pre-school, I had 2 days a week with some free time carved out (the other 3 days I worked). Over the years, I've done quite a lot of jogging (and this is v popular where I live, with several groups going out together - meeting at school gates in kit and going straight from drop off), various classes (really enjoyed Zumba, was lots of fun).

Exercise definitely does not come naturally to me, I'd much rather sit on the sofa after a hard day, but at the moment, I'm seeing a personal trainer on my day off (both DC now at school), going to a Circuits class on one evening (8-9, so after bedtime, plus DH is usually home in time), and doing something active as a family at the weekend (tennis, bike ride, playing football, long walk). I look the best I've done in years, I have more body confidence, and I have more energy. Plus I'm modelling good behaviour for the children.

As you say, the hardest thing is getting out the door, but you'll never regret it once you're out. I find having a date in my diary (personal training, class with friends) means I go. Having something general means I can find an excuse (and I will. I'm great at that).

I play netball because i like the competitive aspect. Sometimes I don't feel like it but I basically have to go or let the others down, and I always enjoy it once I'm there. I also go trail running 2 evenings a week once the kids are in bed. That I find harder as I'm out for 2.5 hrs at a time ( plus time to the trailhead) so if I don't feel like it then 2.5 hrs seems like forever. I find entering races helps me stay motivated because then there is a reason why every session counts.

You need a routine and you need to make exercise non negotiable part of it.
I exercise 6 days a week. I go to the gym every day straight from work, so I made it a non negotiable part of my after work day. I don't think 'oh is today a gym day or not?', I just go there, every day is a gym day.

I started with 30DS like so many people here. I struggled as it was hard. I asked DH not to let me skip a day during the first two weeks because I feared I wouldn't re start again. But I progressed SO quickly that now I cannot imagine my day without exercise! My body changed so so much, my fitness level and ability to do everydays things like looking after children or doing chores around the house improved so much. Quality of my life improved immensely.

At the beginning it IS a struggle because we usually start as unfit and/or overweight people. With time our fitness level progresses so much that exercises become less of a pain and more of a pleasure. But if we quit soon we will never progress to the next level and exercise will always be just a pain for us. Seriously, life is so much easier with regular exercise and you get a better body shape as a bonus. I started with 30DS just 4 months ago and now I do boot camp training that makes Jillian's Ripped in 30 look like a breeze.

I think the best way to stay motivated is to see results; force yourself to do it for 10 days...

I personally never exercise at home because I find I don't push myself as hard.

Its a very personal thing, isn't it? I push myself much harder at home because I can grunt and pant and swear in a way I just wouldn't in public.

Maybe exercising at home is the answer for you- 30 day shred as others have said, or the 'Insanity' workouts are also popular.

Having said that, I personally never exercise at home because I find I don't push myself as hard.

For some, a specific routine seems to work, but for me, I have to keep changing things every so often. I get bored easily and am very faddy with different types of exercise, so I've been through a swimming phase and a running phase and a Body Combat phase etc...

As someone else suggested, maybe try lots of different things until you find something you really love. I am about to try kickboxing which may well become my new fad for a while.

Could you afford to use a PT for a while? My fitness needed a kick start (I had a long period of non-exercise over the summer as my mum is very poorly and then my dad suddenly got ill and died and exercise dropped off my radar) and so I am having 6 sessions with a PT. It's motivating because I have an appointment booked with him and I don't like breaking appointments or being late, so that gives me the kick up the bum to get down to the gym and train. He has taught me a whole range of new stuff that I wouldn't otherwise have thought of, and has shaken me out of my 30 minutes treadmill + 30 mins weights routine which had become boring and wasn't giving me the results I wanted.

God luck OP, hope you find something that works for you :)

If getting out of the door is the killer for you, then don't get out of the door. Do the 30 day shred (or similar). The DVD is £5, you just need basic kit (sports bra, shoes, mat if your floor is hard, handweights) and 20 minutes a day (with a day or two rest days of each week). There are usually several MN threads going at any one time such as this one.

If you exercise at home, donning the gear doesn't take long - I generally put on the top half of my kit first thing to get DD to her bus stop, then just swap jeans for leggings, shoes on and shred before brekkie. (then I keep them on while I do various chores before showering).

shakespeare does your gym have an affordable creche? During the long summer holidays often the only way I manage to get a gym session in is by booking DD into the creche there. It's worth the fee. She loves it and always has loads of fun which is motivation in and of itself to go to the gym.

Bssh, yes the irrational fear that I'll turn into an amorphous blog if I don't stick to my regime

Lazy yes, that's how I lost all my pregnancy weight. I still love walking because of those days.

I remember walking miles and miles with a small child in a pushchair because that was the only way to get any exercise!

Seems like another lifetime now

And I agree with Betty - seeing my body shape changing for the better is the best motivation. Now the flab has gone (I've lost 5 stones through a combination of diet [5:2 fasting] and exercise) I'm seeing lots of muscle definition and I really don't want to lose it.

shakespeare I work from home and my DD (5) is fulltime at school so my schedule is very flexible. I also wear my gym kit as soon as I wake up so I tend not to have excuses and mentally am ready to exercise when my lunch break arrives. If I can't be arsed to go to the gym then I don't but 9 times out of 10 I do - but I tell myself that I'll go to the gym and if I don't feel like doing much I'll just do a light session.

When DD was small and at home I walked for miles with her in the buggy, even in the pouring rain. That kept me fit. When she started at the childminders part time I exercised whilst she was there - houswork and chores be damned .

Oh and yes I work full time but I get to the gm by 8 in the morning once DS has gone off to school and I work out till just before 10 so I get to work about 10. We are a small company so it suits them for me to take my lunch hour 9-10.

The more I train the more I love it and I ab hate missing a session although I do tend to rest at weekends.

I love it and stay motivated really easily.

I do 3-4 gym session a week, usually 1hr 45 each combining a bit of cardio with weight work,1-2 pole fitness sessions per week and 1 -2 classes like bootcamp or body pump. This morning I did 50 mins cardio, 1 hr body pump and then tonight I have my pole fitness session...a bit much really for my muscles but I only work out morning and evening usually once a week.

I find the gym has really changed my body shape and my muscles are quite defined and that in itself keeps me motivated. I wear a HR monitor and usually set myself targets and normally like to work out until I hit the 800 cal burn....am a bit anal like that but I do like to work to goals and targets etc otherwise I think I would dither a bit :)