What Gets You Off the Couch?

[Chives the Conquerer]

When you find yourself staring at some screen --whether T.V., phone, computer, or tablet -- what drives you to get up and force yourself to workout? Often, I'll find myself on the 5th page of my Facebook newsfeed reading statuses I don't really care about, or learning obscure history like the probable causes behind the 1836 Creek War.

Whether it's the Rocky theme song, or some inspiring story you once saw on Good Morning America...share whatever gets you off your butt and working out!

[Vella]

Call me a masochist, but I like the burn of a good workout.  I use that, as well as dangling my eventual goals over my head.  I find carrot works way better for me than stick

[citizenkade]

The last week? My workout. I'm not allowing myself any other activities until the workout is done! Now, I'm getting excited for them. I might be sick, not sure...

[Liberator]

A year ago I stop watching TV and my son broke the sofa so there was never a comfortable place to sit down in the living room. I liked the "media fast" so much, never went back. Once in a while there will be something people are talking about that I need to be filled in about, but most stuff doesn't impact my life. A lot happier without all the TV time. 

[illc]

That is an excellent story Liberator.

 

Myself, ... I can't rightly say.  Lately physical training is the only thing that really engages me.  It's a bit of a m!n)f*ck, actually, as my self image tends much more towards scrawny head-dweller.  That said, I'm enjoy the slow and steady development of myself as the action adventure hero of my own life.  Re-finding balance will happen - I am somewhat confident.

[El Exorcisto]

Knowing that there are demons of being a fat weakling my whole life that need to get crushed under a heavy fucking barbell... that's why I train.

[Drgnslyr1992]

My cat wakes up at the butt crack of dawn and decides it's time to play. That gets me out of bed.

[Fenshire]

I don't do anything until I workout.  I wake up, get into my gym clothes, and head to the gym or for a run before my brain can register what's happening.

[alienjenn]

knowing that if I average 7500 steps every day for the rest of the month I will have walked three million steps in the last 18 months

 

knowing that my first million steps took me three years....

 

knowing that it's entirely possible to get three million steps NEXT YEAR...

 

 

knowing that I am close to lifting 20k pounds in a workout...

 

knowing that I make my kids proud...

 

knowing that I make the rebellion proud...

 

knowing that someone out there is watching me even if I don't know it and I could be inspiring them to greatness that they never thought they could acheive...

 

knowing that if I DON'T work out I have to come here (or to the groups I run on facebook) and tell them I didn't work out...

 

knowing that if I don't work out I am at risk for gaining back the 100 #'s I have lost...

 

knowing that if I don't work out I won't lose the 100#'s I have left to go...

 

knowing that if I *DO* go work out I can eat moar!!!

 

these are the thigns that motivate me

[somebody]

For me it's mostly short-term anger and stubborn pride that get me up. I don't want to be the same me that I am now by this time next year. I like me sure, but I'm none too pleased to look in the mirror or down at my belly. Additionally, I still feel like an awkward new guy at my gym, and that ticks me off, too. I want to be in there enough that I know what I'm doing and can get in and out without feeling like an idiot at all.

[iatetheyeti]

Depends. Sometimes it's looking out of the window, seeing the rare good weather and wanting to take advantage of it. Sometimes I look down, see the distinctly squashy exterior of my abdominal area and know that every workout I do is helping reduce it. Sometimes I get bored. Sometimes I need a different distraction.

 

...and sometimes it's just knowing I'll feel better afterwards.

[Waldo]

It really doesn't take any motivation. I work out at the same time every day, 7 days a week, right after we put kiddo to bed. It is what I do during that time for a couple years now. It would be totally weird to do something else.

If every workout requires you to find some motivation, chances are you have already failed.

[The Beard]

The last week? My workout. I'm not allowing myself any other activities until the workout is done! Now, I'm getting excited for them. I might be sick, not sure...

 

I'm in the same boat as you. I can't do anything on the couch until I've done my workout for the day. It's a tad bit easy for me though, because the gym I go to is the wellness center of the campus I work at. Another thing that I have been doing during my couch time is to actually work on my handstands while the tv is running.

[MissMormie]

For me it's generally the clock. I know I want to go for a run on monday while the sun is still out. Which means at this time of the year I need to get moving by 15:00. And generally I start around that time, even though I think about it for most of the day but just can't get myself to do so. 

 

If every workout requires you to find some motivation, chances are you have already failed.

 

I don't agree with this. Just because you're not in an easy habit of exercising doesn't mean failure. Giving up is failure, keep trying and you haven't failed.