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When do you have the most energy/feel most motivated for exercise?

Lark

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What determines it? Is it something you can cause or stimulate or is it just something you experience? Is it linked to a pre-existing schedule, like playing part of a team sport or having scheduled/books personal training sessions or anything like that?
 

cascadeco

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Honestly, when I'm happy/ in a good mood. That's when I'm most naturally motivated and full of energy and such, and when going for a run sounds 'fun', almost.

It's why exercise is a bit of a catch-22.. when it may be the most beneficial to you, is when you're probably more in the dumps, thus it's harder to force yourself to do it, even though at that time it would be better because by doing so it would get the endorphins going.

So to get out of the element of having to always personally motivate, I imagine that's where having a defined schedule / actually paying for it (whether having a trainer, or being part of a team/sport, or simply having others to be accountable towards), where you need to show up at a certain time each week or are part of a group exercise program or class, could be more beneficial for some.
 
R

Riva

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The best time to exercise is before I ...................

I don't want to fill in the blanks because there is a lady in the house and she would probably read other posts made in this thread. ;)

like playing part of a team sport

Exercise is vastly different from a team sport. Team sports would encourage people to compete harder since it bring out the tribal-competitive nature out more. In exercise one either finds excuses to stop or not. We are not discussing this I understand.
 

21%

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Usually when I'm in one of those moods where I also get a haircut, organize my room, sort through my emails and work files, wake up early every day feeling good about life.

It's hard to keep it up though. You can get into a routine and it's fine for a while, but then something usually comes up, either work stress or emotional stress, that destroys it.
 

Aquarelle

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For me, it seems to be a matter of getting in the habit of it. Before Fest started for this year, I was in the really good habit of working out 5-6 days a week, and I noticed I felt a lot less resistant to the idea of working out. Even on days when I didn't really feel like it, I'd just be like, "okay, I'm going to do it now" and I'd at least do a workout video at home, if I didn't feel like going to the gym. I've gotten out of the habit now, but this week I'm going to try to get back into it.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, and I found that that was pretty true-- after 3 weeks of trying really hard, it just kind of came naturally. I'm hoping, though, that having been in the habit recently and just taken a short hiatus, that it will take less time to get BACK into the habit. :D

My motivation is also tied to having someone else go with me. When my spouse and I can go to the gym together, I'm much less likely to blow it off.
 

Randomnity

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Never, really. I pretty much have to be signed up for it, my team has to be counting on me, AND I have to genuinely like the activity. Any of those missing means trouble. I think I could do better if I actively tried to form a habit, though. Habits help me a lot.
 

UniqueMixture

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Personally, I feel depressed if I don't excercise for a few days so that's pretty motivating. Also, being checked out is nice positive reinforcement :laugh: Also, I am halfway toward my weight goal (!!!!) So watching those pounds melt off and seeing I'm a sexy beast makes me feel proud of myself (like I am valuing and loving myself)
 

Lexicon

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I'm not a morning person, at all. I take forever to mentallly adjust to being awake, & like to take things slowly. I was hypoglycemic for awhile, so I'd wake up to dizziness/nausea.. not the best physical state for exercise. Actually, come to think of it, I don't ''work out,'' in general. I find it boring. I keep in shape through other vigorous activities, like cleaning, or wandering around/bicycling before my bike broke. I don't have a set routine, per se. I guess ADHD might be to blame, haha. Mid afternoon well into the night, I can be more active. Mornings are for dragging oneself around and grumbling.
 

Aquarelle

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Mornings are for dragging oneself around and grumbling.

I agree! On weekends, if I sleep in, I can get up and work out pretty much right away, but I will never be able to get up extra-early on a work day to exercise before work. I do not possess that capability.
 

violet_crown

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First thing in the morning. If I don't get up and roll into my workout clothes straight away, then I'm unlikely to overcome that inner inertia that day. Exception to this is if I've paid for a class or something, in which case I'm plenty motivated not to waste the money.
 

Lark

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I agree! On weekends, if I sleep in, I can get up and work out pretty much right away, but I will never be able to get up extra-early on a work day to exercise before work. I do not possess that capability.

I tried that and succeeded two days in a row but I found on each occasion that my day at work really dragged in because I'd had like a great morning, great work out and had to shift gear into dull work mode again.
 

Lark

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First thing in the morning. If I don't get up and roll into my workout clothes straight away, then I'm unlikely to overcome that inner inertia that day. Exception to this is if I've paid for a class or something, in which case I'm plenty motivated not to waste the money.

I'm actually hoping that once I've used the gym to get into shape that I'll be able to get up and run in the mornings just close to my home or go sea swimming after I finish my shifts at work, my work is just on the coastline and the beach is a stones throw away.
 

Qlip

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If I had nothing to do in the day, then I'd probably have the most energy to exercise at about 9:00 in the morning, but that's normally where I get work done at... work. I do my workout in the evenings after I've had a bite and have chilled some.
 

violet_crown

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I'm actually hoping that once I've used the gym to get into shape that I'll be able to get up and run in the mornings just close to my home or go sea swimming after I finish my shifts at work, my work is just on the coastline and the beach is a stones throw away.

I think this sounds great. I've gathered that the zen of exercising is to make it as integrated into your life as possible. Not just being in the habit of exercising, but changing your lifestyle so that you're more active overall.
 

Lark

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I think this sounds great. I've gathered that the zen of exercising is to make it as integrated into your life as possible. Not just being in the habit of exercising, but changing your lifestyle so that you're more active overall.

Yeah, that's my aim, so that its second nature.
 

Such Irony

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In the evening is when I have the most energy and motivation.

I heard it's better for the body's metabolism to exercise in the morning though.
 

ilikeitlikethat

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Phobia of being fat motivates me if I haven't been to the gym in a while.
 

man

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about 30 minutes after taking jack3d

USPLabs_jacked2_large.jpg
 

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garbage

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About 20 minutes after I eat. Usually mid-late afternoon, never mornings and rarely evenings.

I've gotta have the energy to go off and exercise.
 
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