How to keep motivated to workout daily when stuck in the 9-5 corporate cycle?

[lucyflor]

@abnerpublishing I go to the work gym at 6 am when it opens. I'm in 8:00-5:30-ish corporate world.

 

[alim21]

@abnerpublishing Can you relocate in order to bike commute?

This was the single best decision for me regarding where to rent/buy.

Integrating exercise into my routine every day is a game changer. Parking is too expensive and public transit isn’t that great.

I’ve been bike commuting to work 9km round trip every week day for four years, all year around, and I’ve never felt better. I don’t go to the gym - for me this is it, plus some stretching or callisthenics in the odd evening.

 

[positivityn2018]

@abnerpublishing Gotta go early in the morning, way too many excuses not to go later in the day also way more crowded at night

 

[suthrnbell]

@abnerpublishing I keep the gym bag in the car. Make sure I hit the gym before going home for the day.

 

[alambert123]

@abnerpublishing If you can't work out at night you got to work out in the morning. I wake up at 5:00 every day to go work out for an hour and a half. I go home, have a protein shake. Eat breakfast and then get to work. That way my evenings are free to do what I want.

 

[hakim]

@abnerpublishing The two weekend days and two other days I don’t need to go into the office- morning if I don’t have a morning call or lunch time or after my last meeting

I go in three times a week

 

[mkeene5]

@abnerpublishing I used to go to the gym and murder myself from 5-7ish after my 9-5 shifts. It wasn't necessarily relaxing but still therapeutic.

 

[brianehall]

@abnerpublishing If you don’t have kids and aren’t going to school you have plenty of free time.

 

[punziekate]

@abnerpublishing I get up 6 am, and go to the gym first thing in the morning. If I planned to go in the evening it would not happen 9/10 times. Get it done in the morning for a relaxed evening.

The motivation is not always there in the morning but I'm going anyway. The biggest obstacle I'd to just get there. Once I'm there the workout flow comes naturally and I feel better afterwards.

 

[janett]

@abnerpublishing Don't work out everyday? You need rest days in between otherwise you'll just get burnt out!

 

[dallwoo]

@abnerpublishing The better your bod is the hotter the girls you can bang (generally)

 

[wdub]

@abnerpublishing Start earlier
There is no motivation that can help you just discipline.

And they associate the gym time as ‘me time’ Watch your tv shows or catch up on podcasts etc during this time

 

[gdemoss]

@abnerpublishing I know I have to make time, or the consequences are not good (MH); always a good motivator.

Establishing a routine and sticking to it also helps me. Eg Wednesday I finish on time so I can do a workout etc.

 

[bruna86]

@abnerpublishing I have flexible hours allowing me to manage myself to end my work day at 3.30 by starting it around 6 am. I end up having an hour and a half to work out before picking up the kids.

 

[mehraban]

@abnerpublishing Exercise before work.

 

[dennisldf]

@abnerpublishing You just have to get up earlier. I’m up at 4:30 every weekday (I strength train 4 days a week, M,T,Th,F), in my home gym by 4:45, lift for 45-60 minutes and then do 15 minutes walking on the treadmill if I have time. In the shower by 6:05, back down for breakfast at 6:35ish, eat with my husband, head back up to get ready for work at 7:15 and out the door by 7:40 for an 8:00 start at the office. I try to be asleep by 9:30 at night so I’m getting 7 hours of sleep.

It takes discipline to establish a routine (if you would’ve told me 2 years ago I’d be getting up at 4:30 I would’ve told you you were insane), but once you’re used to it it’s not a big deal. I’m home from work by 5:30 usually so I’ve got a solid 4 hours to spend hanging out with my husband before bed, and then because I got all my training done during the week (except maybe some steps/cardio on the weekends), I don’t have any real commitments on the weekend that eat into family time.

 

[neysonclark79]

@abnerpublishing I get up early in the day to get my exercise done, but I am also lucky to be working from home 4 days a week so if I struggle to wake in the morning, then I will go on my lunch break

 

[amerikanka]

@abnerpublishing The cheat code is home gym, if your circumstances allow it. Motivation will only get you so far. At some point, you really have to love it. I'm up at 4 AM every day and I genuinely look forward to it. My hour working out is pretty much the only me time I have. 8-5, wife, two kids and a dog.

 

[danieljames]

@abnerpublishing I work a Monday to Friday 9-5 with 3 kids still at home and in school
There is NEVER enough time after work to make dinner, make lunches, walk the dog and get any sort of down time if we added gym. So my husband and I go to the gym at 4am. We lift til 5:30 or so, then home to enjoy a coffee together, get ready for work, wake the kids and eat breakfast together. My personal uninterrupted time has switched to mornings. Typically we’re in bed before 9. I just cut out the “sit on the couch and mindlessly watch nonsense on TV time” in the evening in favour of sleep.

 

[uzezi]

@abnerpublishing Understand that motivation never stays and that motivation isn’t a requirement to get done. Discipline. I do like to set goals along the way of this constant journey though.