What made you start *and stick to* doing exercise?

[ThisShitIsBananas]

If you used to be a couch potato then please encourage me with tales and tips of how you started to incorporate regular exercise into your day or week. I'm desperate for some motivation! How did you wake up one day and that was the day that made you get up off the sofa and start, - and continue most importantly - exercising?

I started because I have a very job and a very sedentary life and sometimes I just don’t feel right mentally or physically. And secondly because I enjoy going for walks in summer but if I can’t get up a hill my husband and son leave me behind which isn’t much fun. So I needed something to help me walk. And last spring I decided to have a go at the NHS C25K running (well jogging) programme because it didn’t take much time, I could start from my own front door, I didn’t need to change into special gear except trainers and a set of headphones that would stay in my ears.

For me it’s very much about taking things one day at a time and not thinking about results. It didn’t matter how well or badly I did it, how fast I ran or how far I went; all I had to do was run (as slowly as I could!) when the Voice of Laura said run and walk (as fast as I could!) when she said walk. My main aims were to finish the session, not to fall over and not to injure myself. Each session felt do-able when I came to do it and week by week the running bits got longer and the walking bits got shorter. So I could see a bit of progress every week which definitely helped me stay motivated.

By the end of the programme I was enjoying it enough to keep on running 3 times a week. I like being out there in the fresh air not worrying about anything. (I did buy a waterproof and some jogging pants because running in wet jeans is horrible.) I thought about trying a parkrun, I was speeding up and eventually managed 5K in 30 minutes but I twisted my ankle (not running) and had to rest up so I didn’t get to do the parkrun. I didn’t run at all over the winter, too grim in the dark. But I am starting C25K again this year and I’m about halfway through now.

I thought of doing the NHS exercise plan on days I don’t run, but it starts at 45 minutes and that’s just long.

very job = very sedentary job (!)

How much does a personal trainer cost? I think that would be the only thing to make me exercise. I do walk over 40 minutes a day commuting - I'm not totally stationary - but it's not enough really

It varies according to where you live, I think (and also if it's through a gym, because gyms take a proportion of the trainer's fee).

I pay £35 per session (an hour), but I think that's quite cheap. It's not cheap, but relative to other prices I've seen!

I caught sight of myself from behind in a changing room mirror in River Island. I could not believe what I was seeing: arse hanging out of my knickers, rolls of back fat,cellulite all over my legs and a flabby belly. I know it sounds stupid, but I'd never really looked at myself before and I was disgusted by what I become. I vowed I was going to turn things around and bought a five pound Dvd off Amazon and I did ten minutes every night. Eventually I began to see my body changing, I then bought another one for my arms and one for my legs and alternated them every night. No matter, how tired I was, or how many things I had to do and however much my oh objected I did my DVDs religiously. A year and a half later and I'm in mighty fine shape, even though I say it myself. I've just bought a skipping rope and I'm watching online tutorials on how to "jump rope". I'm also trying to learn to run by walking for one minute and running for two. It can be done without gym membership or classes you just need the right mindset.ITs not happened overnight, it's taken time, but when I look at my middle aged body it's a shadow of my former self.

I saw a photo of myself and I was horrified how 'complacent' I'd gotten ... Made copies and placed them in the yummy kitchen food cupboards ... Was enough to goad me into action !

My friend pays £70 for 12 half hour PT sessions (NE) I'm going to do the same once DHL has passed his driving test and we have less monthly outgoings

Round here PT sessions seem to be about £15 for 30 minutes. I've been putting off working out if i can afford some or not.

DrHarleen thats less than £6 a session! Im now wondering if the ones ive seen have been for 60 minutes rather than 30.

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I started c25k as a New Year's resolution and had a friend doing it at the same time (although we always ran separately). It was good to be accountable to someone and I was motivated to carry on when the progress I was making was so tangible. Also, I had a very encouraging dh who always encouraged me to go out on the days that I wasn't feeling motivated.

Since completing c25k I have continued to run at my local Parkrun. I keep going back because I am very competitive (with myself) and am deperate to beat my pb. I have set myself a long-term goal which I am working towards.

I also recently downloaded the Strava app which helps to feed my competitive spirit :)

I'm a total couch potato. So lazy (wrt exercise). I'm 3 stone overweight and very unfit. I started couch 2 5k in January and apart from a 3 week hiatus I have kept it up. I decided that I would use my 2 hours per week dead time while DS is at clubs to move my arse and I bought a pair of trainers and downloaded the app. I'm still only at week 4 but starting to enjoy it. I feel so proud of myself. My motivation is realising I'm 35 not 25 and if I don't improve my fitness and drop some weight I'm on a downward slope to becoming an achy, saggy, immobile middle aged woman. I can't get away with it and stay healthy the way I could when I was 25.

After I had my first baby, I lost the weight almost immediately, in fact weighed less than before. But I looked 'soft' and lacking in tone.

I joined a gym and just got addicted. I can't imagine my life without exercise. If I don't go for 3 days, my mood is terrible.

For me, definitely doing classes at the gym. Experimented with various before settling to a mix I like, making sure I had trainers and kit I wanted to wear ... Trivial, but it helps for me. Seeing myself in the mirror doing Body Attack, I feel so chuffed with what I can do now, and it astounds me as someone who loathed all sport and exercise for years that I can do this! And I feel genuinely sad if I can't do classes for a few days now!

Think about what motivates you to do stuff in general?
Eg Are you sociable? Do a team/group thing. Do you like challenge? Choose something really difficult.
This helped me find something that I can keep doing (hot yoga!)

Couple of things for me. I was not unfit but overweight so I signed up for a local 10k. When I started running, I couldn't get to the end of the road without hyperventilating and wanting to die! I now run regularly and went from struggling to do 2k to completing a half marathon 3 years later! I've also found a local Boxercise class (literally down the road from me). It's something different and fun, it's improving my cardio fitness, core and upper body strength.

The other thing that really motivates me is having a Fitbit. I wear it every day and push myself to hit my step target. There's days when I think I CBA to run but then I've only done half my step target so I go! You can connect with friends to compete which is great motivation.

I really think it's about finding something you enjoy it find challenging.

For me, it started with a Fitbit. I loved the app on my phone and checking all my stats. The 'competition' between friends on the challenges. I'm round shouldered and started getting upper back pain once I was walking 4-5 miles in one go so someone recommended pilates classes. This led to me trying other classes at the gym and now I do everything from spinning, to pump and hiit.

The only way i have ever stuck to am exercise regime is by making it part of my commute. If the regime involves me 1. Getting out of bed to do it or 2. Getting off the couch after dinner to do it, its not going to persist. I live about 10k from my work and traffic congestion is bad in rushhour so it suits me to cycle as i get there and home faster.

These replies are very interesting, thank you.

I would like to get into a rhythm of doing an exercise DVD every day after DH leaves for work (he leaves very early in the morning!). I know if I could do it 5 days a week then I have got just enough time to make a real difference before summer.

In reality, he leaves and I enjoy a cup of tea in peace before cracking on with my day

I wish there were a magic button I could press that would make me find exercising more appealing than my peaceful cuppa.

Personally I find motivation to be a fickle friend- habit is a better bet.

Don't fly into it and say "I'm going to do a DVD every day" because you almost certainly won't and then you'll feel like you failed. And having a short term goal like "the holiday/ the wedding" will just make you panic about it. Just say you're going to do it 2 days a week, establish that as a habit and then add in an extra day and so on.

A few years ago I needed to get back into exercising post DC2 but was struggling in getting into a routine- I took up Crossfit and committed to going 3 times a week (early doors) and made no other promises- so long as I did those 3 classes I could eat what I wanted and do no other exercise. It stuck and then I got back into running around that, built it up, and now I'm back doing a full race schedule. I've amended the schedule over the last couple of years but essentially I do 5 sessions of exercise a week, as a minimum. And it's really not motivation- it's pure habit.

I agree, I think any techniques aimed at habit building is your best bet rather than looking for motivation or enthusiasm. See Gretchen Rubin's book 'better than before' for excellent ideas on habit formation

JustLostTheGame I hadn't worked out how it much each one was, but my friend who used them said they like you to have 3 sessions a week so thats £70 a month which is a bit dear for me. Especially when you can get a gym membership for less than £20 a month up here. I just need someone to shout at me telling me I can do one more rep etc. Im not very good at doing it myself.

I bet you really look forward to that quiet cuppa? Then don’t replace the cuppa with exercise. Replace something that's shit and boring instead. Do exercise instead of the ironing or cleaning the oven. And you don't need to do it every day either, give yourself a chance to physically recover and (maybe even!) mentally look forward to doing it again.