No Energy for the Gym

[PhillipV]

Does anyone have any "secrets" on getting to the gym after a long day at the office? I am not a morning person to workout early. Should I eat more protein in the afternoon? I don't know what to do!!

Signed,
Too Tired for the Treadmill

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Don't go home. Just go to the gym.

Don't give yourself the opportunity to not go. Just like going to work for me. Lots of days I just can't muster enough to go, yet I somehow go every day and give it all I've got.

However, I usually come home to change into my gym things. I've got my bag on the bed so I have my other things in there. My trick is to NOT sit down. Once I sit I'm doomed.

It's the "Just Do It!" attitude I must use to survive.

Hoping you get suggestions that will give you that spark you need to get there.

 

[tiberius]

One of the things about getting any exercise routine going is that you have more energy once you get going with a program. If you can just get started, you will start to see that you have more energy in the afternoon for exercising.

Just as Tiger Lily 03 posted above, I just make sure I go to the gym. For me, I take my gym bag with me to work and just make sure I go to the gym, after a week or two it was part of my normal schedule and I might feel out of sorts if I miss a day.

 

[pjlla]

How about telling someone that you are going or agreeing to meet someone at the gym? This past Saturday morning when I took DD to swim practice, I had to wait until the Y "officially" opened before I could go to the fitness room. Well, by the time it was 8 am, I was totally engrossed in conversation with other parents. It would have been SO easy to just sit there for another hour. But I had already told them I was heading out at 8 am. Plus I was sitting there in my exercise pants and sneakers, ready to go. So I kind of "forced my hand" and I had to go. I would have been embarrassed to just sit there and bail out on the exercise, after I told them I was going.

Or sometimes I will mention to another swim Mom that I will "meet" her in the fitness room during the next swim practice. Just the unofficial "date" is usually enough to keep me motivated to do the right thing.

Admittedly, if DD doesn't have practice for some reason, or if she is not going, I don't go without her (it is a 30+ minute drive from home) and I don't always get on the treadmill at home like I should in that case. But sometimes even just telling my kids that I am going to be on the treadmill from xx o'clock to xx o'clock, is enough of a committment to keep me honest! Try to find a gym buddy or someone you can be accountable to. Maybe your gym has an incentive program. The Y will sometimes offer an incentive program (gym bag or T shirt) if you exercise for a certain number of times per week for a certain number of weeks. They give you a chart that you need to have signed by the fitness staff when you are there. When you have completed the chart you get the gift. HTH...........................P

 

[Caseydilla]

What helps keep me going, even when I don't want to....is that I remind myself how much better I feel overall once I'm done. (better moods, less tired, eating better, and so on) Good luck!

 

[Raenstoirm]

Although I have never tried it, I hear the self incentive tends to work pretty well. You essentially pay yourself to go. Every time you go to the gym you put $5 in a jar (or an amount of your choosing). At the end of the month you have "free" money to buy whatever you want.

 

[melissalee1220]

i agree with all said above but really agree with DONT EVEN GO HOME!!! once you relax, its all over!!!

 

[born2bird]

I am in the same boat. I get home from work around 5:30 and I don't even get to walk out my door to get to the gym until 8:45PM when my children are tucked in their beds, DH has no desire to go so he is on duty until I get home around 11:15. It is really hard but I just keep telling myself that it is something that I need and will make me so much healthier. I choose not to go right from work because I refuse to lose anymore time with my kids. I don't feel guilty about going if they are asleep while I am there. It is hard (some nights harder than others) but it is worth it.

And while I might get flamed for this, on the nights when I am super tired, I indulge in a diet (only 10 calories) Red Bull to give me the extra boost of energy. As long as you compensate with extra water you are good to go.

 

[schoen]

I play mind tricks EVERY TIME i go to the gym. I tell myself that I am only going to do 20 min. Then I always set the program for 30 min. Then I always feel so good that I am inspired to do another 15 min. I think I would talk myself out of going everyday if I went in saying "I am doing 45 min" That just sounds like a lot! I also do silly things like send my husband text messages that say "yay me, I just went to the gym".

I always remember too that the guilt I will feel not going is MUCH worse than the time spent there.

 

[bubba73]

Tiger Lily is totally correct. Go straight to the gym. Once you get in there, the energy comes to you. It is all over the place in there and you just can't help but soak it up. There is a certain type of energy. I feel the same as you most of the time and once I get in the gym, I can go for 2-3 hours easily.