Question about Motivation

[Rimfire]

Hello all,
How do you stay motivated to run and keep in shape during the winter months? Espicially for those who are not fortunate enough to have an indoor heated gymnasium. It appears that physical fitness is the easiest thing to give up, or skip a day...and the next thing you know is that you have not performed cardiovascular exercise in three weeks. -any pointers?

-with respect,
-Rimfire.

[shinra]

i too go through periods where i have little motivation, but then
i think of my goals, and what i am training for.

are you training for a particular career/event?

[Topmaul]

I try to stay in shape for competitive events find a sport and join a team then do your best to carry your load.

[plhappiness]

Originally Posted by Rimfire

Hello all,
How do you stay motivated to run and keep in shape during the winter months? Espicially for those who are not fortunate enough to have an indoor heated gymnasium. It appears that physical fitness is the easiest thing to give up, or skip a day...and the next thing you know is that you have not performed cardiovascular exercise in three weeks. -any pointers?

-with respect,
-Rimfire.

Running in bad weather is the best thing..
You keep yourself warm with the fire of the mind ("you against the elements" / even sparring against God) and a bit of extra effort. Interval training works good in bad weather..
Really builds willpower, and once you get used to it (ignore being wet - you're not miserable, just wet and once the run is completed you're sheltered again) then running in the elements becomes something powerfull, beyond words.
Hail is a different story ofcourse ;) Dont overdo anything as my dad told me.

[mitnagdev]

I am 57 and have been working out on a consistent basis since finishing grad school in 1975. (I also ran track for 4 years 1965-1969 while in high school.)

Ive had my lapses, some by "choice" and others by things like surgery, travel, etc. Motivation is tricky. Some of us are self-starters by nature while others need a push.

I cant speak to your particulars, but, as to winter months if you have the space and money installing a treadmill and/or a Lifecycle worked for me. I also do a dumb bell routine with a bench. Swimming is my primary cardio and am blessed with several local indoor pools open all year.

My best motivator is looking in the mirror and having difficulty buttoning my pants.

[Snowleopard]

Three things.

First of all, I'm a scuba diver and we work year round. While scuba is not a workout like running, it's active enough both from the equipment/movement considerations and the environmental concerns.

Secondly, I keep busy. In the work world, I have at least 4 different bosses, maybe more. Being on the run like that keeps one from becoming a couch potato though it does have disadvantages in other places, such as keeping the house clean.

Finally, sex appeal. That's what pushes the body to keep going despite pain.....or even to feed off the pain. "Come on! You want to be so fit that no man will refuse you your desires!"

Ahem!
______________________________________________
("It hurts ...... but I like it!"--Saber to a contemptful dominant Sharon Kane, (w,stte), "Leather and Lace")

[Franklin.]

Unfortunately for me, because I live in the desert, it gets up to 130. Although it usually averages at 115, running in the heat is very difficult. I tend to run either before sun rise, or after sun set. If I really want to get cooked up, and I will put on a sweatshirt and ride a bike during broad day light. As far a motivation, I am motivated to reach my goals in life and fulfill my dreams, because I don't want to be stuck at a desk job that is to no benefit to anything, or stuck in a bureaucratic job.

[lobofrisco]

I live by the motto of the SEALS: You don't have to like, you just have to do it!

[johnhodges]

In our modern day world it is very critical to be Motivated, otherwise you may get dumped by the way side. I think motivation is essential in all facets of life.

[Knaur]

Originally Posted by johnhodges

In our modern day world it is very critical to be Motivated, otherwise you may get dumped by the way side. I think motivation is essential in all facets of life.

That is true, but it is not just true of the modern world, it has always been that way throughout the history of civilisation, probably right from the first cavemen who thought, well hey, today we are going to test our limit, extend our territory and check out what lies in the next valley, rather than the ones who thought well we got some decent meat, why don't we just laze around for some time before going hunting

[AlexHamburg]

Originally Posted by lobofrisco

I live by the motto of the SEALS: You don't have to like, you just have to do it!

hehehe, but thats the point .. doing some sports again and again .. you get endorphins from your boddy and become addict, even if it hurts in the end you love it and get as an award the endorphins.

Zuzana is a girl, that made a lot of training vids in the internet, thats motivating perhaps not for a SEAL, but anyhow .. watch it, she makes damn hard workouts

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by Rimfire

Hello all,
How do you stay motivated to run and keep in shape during the winter months? Espicially for those who are not fortunate enough to have an indoor heated gymnasium. It appears that physical fitness is the easiest thing to give up, or skip a day...and the next thing you know is that you have not performed cardiovascular exercise in three weeks. -any pointers?

-with respect,
-Rimfire.

While I'm not training in the IDF or any other military I can tell you that as a civvie I can imagine that it's harder to stay motivated because your life is less structured and ruled by your own will and desire more.

This being said, you start with motivation, find that it's not always there. So I end up doing it by forcing myself to do it. In a way I discipline myself to do it.

It's sorta like having to salute a superior you don't like. You have to remind yourself, you're not saluting the man, but the rank. You don't have to like it, you just gotta do it.

Same with days that you don't feel motivated. You don't have to want to do it, you just have to do it.

Again with the Nike slogan, Just do it. lol :D

And it crosses over to life too. Ability to self discipline is a very valuable and respectable trait to learn and you really can learn it, no one can teach you but you. Any one else teaches you discipline, it's not self discipline, it never came from within but from someone else instead.

That's my 2 cents on doing cardio every day (which I aim to do but weather can be a pain and sometimes I get so tired of it I jog in the rain or cool weather anyway).

[armored-diplomacy]

Just a brief note:

Overtraining is as bad as not training at all; make sure your training is fun and not another chore in your already busy life :)

[Knaur]

Again with the Nike slogan, Just do it. lol :D

That's pretty much how I motivate myself for anything. My motto is "just take the 5 seconds it ll take to get started than leaving it for later when you ll be sober".

A bit long, but it works

[janetnjohn]

Originally Posted by Knaur

That's pretty much how I motivate myself for anything. My motto is "just take the 5 seconds it ll take to get started than leaving it for later when you ll be sober".

A bit long, but it works