What inspires you to exercise...

[cloverfdx]

The dogs . I used to go to kickboxing twice a week and a dance class once a week and was in great shape... now the only exercise i get is with the dogs as i dont have a kickboxing partner anymore .

Once we get right into Autumn i will get the old bike out and start riding with the dogs again, and because i have to do one dog at a time i will be going for 2 rides a day (Clover is too old for biking now & Harri too young).

[Catty1]

A day with no deadlines and pleasant weather (even in winter) - and I will walk EVERYWHERE!

Kind or erratic in Canada and with a full time job. But I do the little things too - park further away from the store and walk, just work in bits and pieces. Not quite enough. But a process, not an event.

[columbine]

I checked out Scottish country dancing just on a whim, and got hooked! It's sort of like the dancing version of that game Simon, where you get shown a pattern and then try to follow it. It's very beginner-friendly, and I love the music. Dancing is great! And people do it absolutely everywhere, be it salsa, 12-step, Israeli, square dancing, Greek, contra, morris, ballroom... it's pretty easy to find a place to dance, and nearly all (except square dancing, at least around here) encourage switching partners, so you can just go on your own if your sweetie is too busy or self-conscious. If there are too many men or too many women, some just dance the opposite part.

And in Scottish dance, the men dress better than the women!

Love, Columbine

[Flatcoatluver]

I take 5 different dog classes every week and twice a week I am working (my job is on my feet all day). I also like to go shopping. So I don't actually work hard on excercising, but I know that will come once I lose more weight. I also like to go to our neighbor's pond and run around there with the dogs. It keeps all three of us happy. I also like to dance in my room.

[chrangharris]

The fact that since having a baby I only have one pair of jeans that fit the way they are supposed to! On a plus note, I've moved 2 pants sizes down since December! Money is tight and if I want to wear my clothes, I need to get down one more size!

Also, hubby loves that I'm working out and always complimenting me! I think about those compliments and it gets me moving again!

[finn's mom]

Music motivates me. I dance all the time! I swear, it's the ONLY reason I'm not overweight and still pretty toned (at least my lower body anyway). I need to work on my midsection, although I don't dislike the way my body looks dressed. I just want to be able to feel confident in a bikini this summer and with my little pooch, I don't. Eating well gives me the motivation to exercise, too, and lately I've been eating really well and I feel awesome! I haven't had a soda in over a month and I have already lost a few pounds just taking that out. Not to mention the multitude of other things that have improved. It's hard, too, I love Coke!

And, Finn is pretty motivating, too, I have worked hard to get him back into shape, and I don't want him to get chunky again. And, he's just a much better behaved dog if I get him out on a good walk every day.

My energy level goes through the roof when I exercise, too, so that's motivating.

[Rachel]

I don't know that *inspires* applies with me. *Motivates* seems more appropriate. Like Kim, with me it's the health problems that might be avoided by exercising.

Although just because we know something is beneficial doesn't necessarily translate into action. What helps me keep up the exercise routine is just that....making it a routine...a habit...a scheduled part of my day. The momentum of that is what keeps me going. In fact I know that if I miss several days even for a very legitimate reason - like a bad cold - I find it very difficult to get back on track. When I think about missing a day, I talk myself out of it because that *momentum* of just doing it at the same time of the day will be broken and the next day will be so much harder.

I don't enjoy exercising at all, but I do have a sense of *at least I'm doing what I can* for the benefit of my health. It also feels so good to be done with grinding it out.

[kimlovescats]

I think it's neat that a couple of you mentioned dancing. THAT is the best form of exercise I do, and the one that is most likely to get me moving! I recently downloaded a lot of songs from my younger days, and I can't help it, the beat gets me MOVING!

[cyber-sibes]

I need something to get me motivated. I usually walk the whole time I'm at the dogpark, 4-5 times a week in good weather). But I've been pretty lazy this winter, not walking as much. I joined WW, so I've begun to improve my eating habits. The weather is starting to break - now we have flooding instead of snow. I've been taking the dogs to a park with pavement to walk a few times this week.

I'll keep checking these posts for good ideas.