Readers Respond: How do you motivate yourself to avoid skipping workouts?

Responses: 53

By Paige Waehner, About.com Guide

Updated January 27, 2009

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WELL TO ME ITS LIKE THIS. I LOOK AT MY OLD PICTURE OF WHEN I WAS OVER WEIGHT FAT AND HOW UNHEALTHY I WAS EATING WRONG THINGS AND VERY BAD HEALTH AND I LOOK AT MY PICURE WHEN I WAS FAT ALL THAT GIVES ME THE ENERGY , STRENG AND MOTIVATION TO KEEP WORKING HARD TO BE HEALTHY AND LOOKING GOOD PLUS I LOVE THE FEELING OF WEARING NICE SEXY CLOTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD ON ME AND I LIKE WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT ME ALSO GOING TO THE BEACH WITH A SMALL BIKINY THATS ALLH
—Guest maria

I almost never feel like working out, so I became a fitness instructor! Now I have to show up!
—Guest Sue N.

Goodmorning,I agree that if you have to think about whether or not to excersice you could be done,I get up everymorning at 3am do it and its done!I feel bad when I don't do my excersice.
—Guest rosa banks

The toughest "exercise" is simply getting out of bed each morning. Once the move is made the exercise gets done. I make sure my workout clothes are together before I go to bed so there are no excuses for not getting to it. I love to eat so I exercise either to pay for what I did the day before or to earn what I intend to do today. Works for me.
—ericurmudgeon

If some day you think you do not have the will to do your workout, go and change your clothes for the ones you ussually use for working out. After you changed your clothes try to do a warm up session "only"; when your heart begins to beat harder you will not stop until you finish your regular workout.
—Guest Julian

I push myself, some times thats good, sometimes it's not. I see how weight I've lost and how much I want to lose more of, and that usually gives me the drive to go out and exercise.
—tommy5150

My alarm is set for 4:15 AM & I do not give myself chance to think about not getting up - I just get up and go - almost every morning!!!!
—Guest Gramy

I am going to be joining the police acadamy soon and in order to pass and make it as a police officer I have to become physically fit and healthy. Not an easy task for someone who is lazy, used to smoke cigarettes, and drank a lot... But When I lay in bed not wanting to get up and go for my morning run or jog, I start to think of my long term goal and what I really want to accomplish and that is what makes me get up... That in order to accomplish the goal I want, I need to do the work to get there and I continue to tell myself that the more I do it the easier it will get and the more I will want to do it also....
—Guest Michelle