Why is it so Difficult to Motivate Yourself to Exercise?

Even though you may know how beneficial exercise is for your health and that it can help you control your weight, finding the motivation to actually do something that gets you off your backside can still be a challenge. Despite all the apparent incentives to exercise – being able to live a longer, healthier life; getting a toned, fit body; eating more without worrying about weight gain – these sometimes are not enough to make you want to exercise. You may dislike the thought of getting hot and sweaty in front of other people or simply prefer to spend your time doing something else.

You get into a routine of going to work, sitting in an office all day before coming home to a cupboard full of junk food and a television that is just sitting there. Your favourite programmes are on and you just want to sit down and watch some television. You can't be bothered going to the gym or going for a run when it means you have to get changed into your workout gear before exerting yourself physically. When doing exercise requires you to alter your routine you may choose to ignore the benefits and concentrate on the negatives instead.

Not only does exercise take time out of your schedule; it also means you have to be seen in public wearing clothes that hardly flatter your figure whilst puffing and panting running down the street or lifting weights. If you feel self-conscious when exercising and are more worried about what other people think about you than all the positive aspects of keeping fit, of course it is going to be a struggle to motivate yourself to exercise. By doing exercise on a regular basis you will be fitter and leaner than most of your non-exercising acquaintances, but you don't necessarily consider this.

After all, it is far easier to simply make excuses about why you cannot exercise. Lack of time is obviously a favourite, whilst not being able to afford gym membership or exercise equipment is another – despite the fact you can get a workout for nothing by going for a walk or run – even then, though, you can blame the weather for your lack of exercise, since how can you possibly be expected to do anything when it's raining outside?

At the end of the day, however, you're the one that misses out. It might be difficult to find the motivation to exercise, but when you do actually put the effort in, you will feel so much better for it. Exercise promotes the release of chemicals that help you feel more positive and so after a workout you are better able to appreciate how worthwhile it is to get some exercise. You then have to work on making sure exercise becomes part of your everyday life, so that you can experience these same positive feelings regularly.