Dud3s

You really have to push through it for about 4 weeks before it becomes a habit. It's hard to stay motivated every single day to go work out, but once you get involved in your routine it becomes so much easier. If you go running bring the iPod. Music makes things go so much smoother.

Are you sure the spreadsheet idea isn't just another excuse to procrastinate? ;-)

I think in situations like these the only way to get motivated is to force yourself to commit, and as you begin to see results it becomes easier to continue, until it's second nature. I know that's easier said than done, though, so good luck to you.

As for the spreadsheet it works out if you go in with the understanding that you won't see results for a while. Everyone likes to see huge changes in numbers, but those don't take place instantly.

What about the Nike+iPod running thing? (http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/) It makes running fun (well for me as you get to play with some cool technology when you are done) and a way to track and compete against others online.

I think the key to sticking with an exercise program is picking an activity that you like to do. If you hate jogging or bike riding, you're not going to keep at it.

Animejulie is TOTALLY right. Do something you like. And the ipod thing is also an excellent way to amuse yourself as you sweat.

My own suggestion -- sometimes it is good to make working out an appointment you cannot miss. Having a person you work out with is a good way to do that. You might be more likely to do your chosen exercise if someone else is waiting for you to show up and do it with them.

I think you have to choose something you really love doing. I run because I love it which make it easy it's the same reason I snowboard and hike. I don't think I could do anything that I didn't like, even with an iPod.

For sure the spreadsheet is a way to procrastinate.. That's what i find really hard to do...
This thing is really something i can't commit to.

It's for sure because i know at the beginning it would be very very hard, i'm starting with something called "hard walking", which is a sort of first step for a first approace to running, and i know it will be hard as much as i know i have to do it for myself, i know it's going to be great...

I thought about the Nike+iPod thing, but i can't buy that because i'm going to buy an ipod touch this month or at christmas, and i think it works only with the nano.

For sure among all sports "available" running is the one i really like i think, i would never go to a gym, or doing some other sports...

This evening for sure i will start, i'll let you know if i can go for a week at least :P

I believe it's not about "doing a bit of sports", it's about becoming a sports person. Just trying to shoe horn a little running into an already full schedule is bound to fail.

If you really want to commit you have to start thinking of yourself as an athlete. Set some realistic goals, short-term and long-term to keep you focused. Join a club so that you mix with like minded people.

In the words of Nike...."Just do it!".

That's what i'm thinking these days stratobiker...
I think i have to set goals, so i'm doing that.
Preparing a new plan, a war plan, to attack my lazy mind and to convince myself this is what i have to do for myself...

Even if you just go for 20 minutes, you'll at least be out there letting your body know that, "Hey! This is what we'll be doing from now on! Stop complaining!"

...picking an activity that you like to do. If you hate jogging or bike riding, you're not going to keep at it.

Then there are people like me, and at 40, I still haven't ever found any thing athletic that I like to do. As a pre-teen/teen (until I had a driver's license at 16), I biked everywhere. I was really a good rider and I enjoyed it, but I lived in a neighborhood in Las Vegas where we had wide open streets with not a lot of traffic. Now I live in Germany, and space is at a premium. When I'm driving around trying to avoid hitting bikers on the street with my car, I can't imagine myself being out there. No thanks.

Other than that, I don't like to run, I don't play sports, and the NordicTrak that we bought 12 years ago sits in the storage room. Yoga is boring. Well, for that matter, none of it floats my boat much, so there it is, leaving me a confirmed indoor non-athletic girl. So far, metabolism is helping me keep my girlish figure, but I'm sure that won't last forever...

Suggestions from all you physically fit people out there?

Must have missed this note.

For full disclosure purposes, I ran cross-country in high school and while I was okay at it, I kept at it for all 4 years. I do want to say here that running is a very rewarding sport. Once you get in the habit of it and pushing over that hump to get it at that place, it's a mind-clearing time to yourself (if you run by yourself) and extremely therapeutic. I've done some of my best thinking during training runs.

So my decision to run a Marathon and push my event mileage up to 26.2 from a max of 3.1 in high school was quite a feat. But that was just it--it was a goal. If you commit to the sport, you want to think about scheduling that 5k first, even before you start training. (Active.com has a franchise on online registration for sporting events.) Start small. Give yourself at least 3-4 months. But don't even set a goaltime. Your goal should be run the entire distance, and then if you can after that (and still enjoy running) look to finish under a time. But make your goals attainable and you will want to push further. :)

The thing about training runs too is if you don't set aside a time everyday or make a schedule you will never keep with it. If it's just a filler for when you have free time then (like you've experienced :) you will never end up having any free time. Running is not inherently a "fun" sport from the beginning unless you have talent so you will have to go with the discipline derived from your commitment, at least in the beginning. So schedule it at the same time every other day (or when I was training I ran Tue/Wed/Thur and then Sat). Never underestimate the power of off-days, when you are healing and your muscles are rebuilding themselves. Run on the same days of the week, every week. Always run at least three times a week, at the VERY least twice. If you wait a week between runs the improvement is a slow, upward hill. No matter what, keep the schedule consistent.

Good luck!

Amazing suggestions guys, thank you all.

Now i've started planning my day considering every day an hour dedicated to exercise.
I'm lucky because i can "run" at home also, so i don't have to care for weather conditions.
You really made me realize that the schedule was a problem, it was hard to find time not just because i wanted to procrastinate, but because my schedule wasn't really made by an athlete, or better, by someone really wanting to do sports.
Now i guess it is. For sure I have to give up on other thing, days only have 24 hours, but this is good for me, I'm sure.

Next thing you helped me to understamd is how much running can be "mind-helpful", i don't know ifthat's correct in english...
I mean, i chose running because of that, because i think it's a complete sport, and because i also think it can be relaxing...

This article at Zen Habits might help:

4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit

I actually wrote an article about staying motivated for training here