How Do You Get Motivated To Exercise... Or Do ANYTHING For That Matter? Here's What Works For Me

·38 min·3 clips

A listener named Joe asks how to muster motivation for exercise with a hospital job and two kids.

The episode begins with A.D. Roundtree welcoming listeners to the Monday edition of his show and sharing a life update about his new job as a morning host at KC radio station in St. Louis, starting April 4th. He reassures listeners that he will continue the podcast. A.D. reads an email from a listener named Joe, who is in his mid-thirties, works at a hospital, has two kids, and finds it hard to motivate himself to exercise. Joe asks for A.D.'s exercise plan and tips on sticking with it. A.D. responds by emailing Joe a simple three-day-a-week gym program that takes about 45 minutes per session. He emphasizes the importance of going to a specific place like a gym to avoid distractions at home. A.D. shares a personal realization that no one else can get him in shape, which helped his motivation. He recommends tracking food intake with apps like MyFitnessPal and using a step counter to add extra steps throughout the day. A.D. recounts a story from his mentor Ricky Lee Mench, who used a to-do list during his recovery from alcoholism, and suggests applying this to exercise. He advises consistency but not perfection, noting that missing a workout isn't failure if you get back on track. A.D. clarifies that he is not a doctor or trainer but shares his experiences. He challenges the idea that metabolism slows with age, citing research that it doesn't decline until around 60, and attributes weight gain to lifestyle changes like reduced activity and muscle loss. The episode concludes with A.D. encouraging Joe and thanking listeners.

As heard by us

A grounded reminder that exercise often gets easier when the setup changes before the motivation does.

AD Roundtree frames exercise motivation as something shaped by setup, not just grit. He remembers living in a subdivision where the gym was about a three-minute walk from home, and the detail gives the episode its clearest practical insight: once he had carved out time to go,…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If motivation keeps evaporating at home, press play for a three-minute-walk theory of getting to the gym.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from A.D. On The Radio