Help - Utter Lack of Self-Motivation... :(

[Scouse]

I managed to snap my medial collateral ligament in December. The sight of my knee bending to the left when it really shouldn't was something to behold (it made my girlfriend gag!).

So I was in a big-ass splint and totally immobile until February. They then fitted a smaller brace and I'm supposed to be working my ass off doing physio to fix it. Doc says I'll be right as rain by September

I'm a contractor so I'm not working - not that it worries me, I've saved up enough for this rainy year so I'm not concerned by that (although I am peeved that I'm blowing my "fuck-off-out-of-Blighty-and-go-round-the-world" savings).

Problem is - I just can't seem to be arsed to do my physio in anything other than piecemeal fashion. I know I'm lazy but that's a bit fucked up isn't it?


So. How do you guys motivate yourselves?

I'm the sort of person who hates the gym because doing that sort of work makes me feel like I'm experiencing a slow and painful death. I'm pretty much going to have to join one tho, so anyone got any tips?


BTW - I'd better tell you in advance - I've got nothing to "look forward" to. Once my knee is fixed I need operations on both my ankles which will pretty much put me back to square one - but they won't operate until my knee is better...

...sorry if I sound like I'm whinging. If you want me to say something positive - I've just cured myself of 18 months of severe depression with one small dose of magic mushrooms!

 

[TdC]

Scouselet, please do your physio! Please do it, I'm not kidding, and if it doesn't hurt like hell then you're prolly doing it wrong to boot. When I broke my leg so badly a few years ago, the physical therapy lady gave me a load of exercises to do, but I too was slack in doing them. These days my ankle works at about 50% of what it should, forcing me to walk with a slight limp and generally be ungraceful of movement. I hate my limp so badly that I rue every second of not being on top of my exercise regime, and would give anything to turn back the clock and redo that bit of my life, even if it would only gain me 5%

So please do it mate.

 

[DaGaffer]

Ow, ow, ow. How did you manage to snap a collateral? I've got a bit of trouble with one of mine (knacked it hiking last year), but the doc reckons its not worth operating (although I can kiss snowboarding goodbye if I don't).

Motivation in the gym is something I'm not best qualified to comment on, I struggle to get myself there as it is (got to go tonight, sob), but one thing I found at a previous gym (Virgin) was that you could log your workout so that you had a constant target to set yourself. The bikes also had a Tour De France mode, where could basically cycle the entire route. Took me a year(!) but it kept me at it. I'd say purely because of the electronic gizmos, it was the most successful gym experience I've had.

 

[Sparx]

*makes a joke about gagging*

Def see physio, when i was run over i done my foot alot of damage, i was on physio for nearly a year. so glad for it now

 

[Dukat]

I find watching good, classic films that you like a little while before training helps get you fired up for it

Also having some decent music going can help, especially if you have music that you can associate with good memories, it can get your mind off of what you're doing a little so it doesnt seem so much like hard work.

I know what you mean about motivation, its a bitch sometimes, its so easy to find an excuse and do nothing, especially after you do nothing for a little while, you get into a rut and its very hard to get out again.

For me motivational quotes help somewhat as well... I enjoy reading, and having a line I can focus on while I'm working out has managed to get me outside on many a rainy day. The best one for me has always been the last line of a peice of writing by Kipling: "If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds of distances run, yours is the world and all thats in it, and whats more, you'll be a man my son!". ok, its a bit corny I know, and I'm not really sure why, but it really does help me quite a bit

Youtube some of the better moments in those bloody awesome films, like Braveheart, Henry V and Gladiator, or whatever takes your fancy. Something to get the blood going so you're fired up for it can really help.

Also, simple things like having set times that you exercise at and sticking to them every day will help, just write it down and put a big note on your desk or wherever so you cant miss it, and remind yourself when the times approaching, when the time comes just start it and see how you get on, just starting is the important part, once you're there the rest is easy.

Hope you get this sorted though, sounds like you've been through a rough few months you'll get there though

 

[Damini]

When I had depression it was grand Greek tragedy stuff, bottle of vodka while chain smoking, punching walls, barricading myself in a room stuff, so that when Kenny was out of work for ages I didn't recognise that he was depressed because it was a meandering, bone chewing, bitten by a radioactive sloth type of affair.

It sounds to me like you might have the latter type, which would explain why you can't motivate yourself to do your physio even though logically you know you really should, and would benefit from it. You mention depression, and you mention lack of motivation, and yet you don't seem to tie the two together.

Have you done anything (other than mushrooms, heh) about it?

 

[MYstIC G]

When I fractured a finger on my right hand, they didn't show me how to do the exercises on it properly and even now (years later) it is far weaker than it should be considering that it's healed.

When I injured my knee (required an op) the physio was mind numbingly boring, however after being laid up on my back for a few weeks, I wasn't going to allow anything to stop me walking again.

So basically what I'm saying is: Don't think of it as forcing yourself to do your physio, think of it as choosing not to be a cripple. That help?

 

[itcheh]

I damaged the m-c in my right knee playing football a couple of years ago. Couldn't walk for 4 days and walked with a heavy limp for a month afterwards.

Although it healed after 6 weeks of rest and physio it still feels like it might go again when I do sports (it's fine otherwise) ... hence I wear heavy strapping when I play football now and I only use non-impact cardio machines in the gym. Seems to be working so far

My motivation was playing football again.

All I can say mate is - the physio exercises might be painful and a hassle, but what else are you doing right now? Just set yourself a time of day (10am?) ... do them (properly) and then you can enjoy the rest of the day knowing that you don't have to do them again until tomorrow.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Depression and a limp just gives you more character. Don't do a thing!

 

[Scouse]

Depression and a limp just gives you more character. Don't do a thing!

Wazzer ftw!!


Cheers everyone. I avoided doing my physio today by shopping (same thing I did yesterday). I've just come back and read all this and got some motivation - so I'm off downstairs to do more than just look at the weights I had delivered last week


Did it wakeboarding. I'm not very good but when I'm doing sporty-type things I don't know when to quit. I was making a bad hash of standing up on the board and managed to twist my knee whilst refusing to let go of the handle, even though I was being pulled through the water with most of my body acting as the resisting force.

Yes. My mates laugh a lot at me when I don't leave go and get dragged along on my face...

As for the depression. Strangely the mushrooms gave me a clairity and perspective about my life that I'd never experienced before. I know I've got problems (not just depression either, but then most of these things do come in bunches) but at least I can see them now and attempt to do something about 'em. If things don't improve then I'll start looking for help elsewhere but if they do, great!


Anyway, I'm off downstairs to see how far into The Magnificent Seven I can get whilst peddling my nuts off...

 

[Milkshake]

I've found getting into a routine helps. Course, it's an arse for the first week or so, but get three weeks into it and exercise is so much easier.

 

[Frizz]

Yo Scouse,

It probably won't help you by my saying this, but I'll say it anyway.

If I don't go to the gym, then I feel guilty as fuck about. It's handy that the gym is actually in my Uni, so I don't have to go too far. Though if I don't get the chance in the day, I'll still go in the evening if I'm not working.

I find that setting a target for how many times in the week you can reasonably go will help you towards finding the motivation to going. My dad said when he was training that you become addicted to it. Which in my experience is true. The guilt associated with not going is just too much if I'm feeling a bit lazy. That being said, I've never experienced depression, so I can't comment on motivating yourself to go when you're ill in that sense.

I managed to go five times in one week a couple of weeks back, while last week I only managed three trips. That and balancing Uni with footy is pretty fun.

You may want to find things to do in the gym that you find easier. For instance, if you enjoy cardio, do a little more of that over weight training. If not, do more of the other. The point is, if you need to get yourself in the kind of shape which helps you to get better, sitting on your bum is deffo not the way to go. Obviously.

The more time you devote to the gym, the easier it gets depending on what you want out of it. So after a fairly short while, it shouldn't feel like a "slow and painful death".

 

[mycenae]

I've had knee problems for over 10 years now, and have been given physio umpteen million times. Therefore, I KNOW how mind numbing it is, how dull it is and how its easier to do ANYTHING other than what you are supposed to. ideally, with Physio, you should be doing little and often....and it should never hurt to the point where you are wincing....if it aches - fine, if it gets you puffed or out of breath, also fine, but you should never give yourself more pain than you started with, becuase its a negative reinforcement and will only encourage you to do it less. the only thing that works for me is doing my exercises with someone, either a friend or a partner...I've even had people ring me up or text me 4 or 5 times a day, simply to say...'are you doing your physio?' I don't like letting people down so I tend to do it.

It is worth it in the end, and if you want your ankles fixed, then its a means to an end...it might be a long way away, but think how great it'll be when your lower limbs finally function they way they should!