Everywhere you turn, someone’s got a really great excuse for why they’re not exercising. People get extremely protective of these excuses, lest the excuse be taken away and the person has no choice but to go to the gym.
I’m here to do that.
Turn your best excuses into the motivation you need to go to the gym, move like you love it, and live a healthier life.
Excuse #1. I don’t have time.
Motivate! Where can you squeeze in exercise? Turn it into a game throughout your busy day. Turn your exercise into your little secret. Walk to lunch. Offer to run errands. Do some chair yoga while you’re on hold or waiting for that email response. When you chase your kids around, do high knees or run a bigger circle–somehow, make it more challenging than it would have to be. Forgo something that you know is a bit of a timewaster–like watching television–and go to a dance class instead.
There are 24 hours in a day. Some people use one or two of those to exercise. Take responsibility for the way you use your own hours, and admit it: if you’re not exercising, it’s not that you don’t have time–it’s that it’s not a priority for you.
Excuse #2. I don’t like it.
Motivate! You just haven’t found YOUR activity yet. Movement is life; when our bodies are healthy and moving well, it feels great! Take advantage of every class and activity offered in your area. If you don’t like it, don’t go back; but keep trying something new until something resonates with you.
Or…could you run an experiment, and see if you can teach yourself to enjoy a sensible activity, the way I did with running? And now I’m training for a marathon, something I never thought I’d do.
Excuse #3. I’m not strong enough.
Motivate! Do you think these athletes were that strong when they started? Nobody who is in shape started in shape. They went for it, worked for it, and stuck to their training process.
Starting out totally from scratch is actually pretty cool–it means you’ll have the opportunity to see more results more quickly! If you lift weights (provided you’re following a well-planned workout) three times a week for two weeks, you’ll notice a difference. If you go from total couch potato to walking for 30 minutes a day for two weeks, you’ll notice a difference. It’s exciting to see and feel those changes in your body, and if you’re consistent you’ll see or feel some difference much more quickly than you might imagine.
Furthermore: if you’re not strong enough? You NEED to exercise.
Excuse #4. I don’t have the energy.
Motivate! Why do you feel so zapped? We’re meant to be vital and strong and energetic, and if you’re not, something’s going wrong. Make sure you’re eating well and getting proper nutrition. Your body is made to be brilliant as long as it has all the nutritional tools it needs. If you need a pick-me-up in the afternoon (I get it…a lot of us do!) try a healthy energy drink like Verve (where you get a boost of energy as well as your vitamins and minerals!) instead of relying on sweet snacks or a huge coffee beverage loaded with sugar. Make sure you’re sleeping enough. Make sure you’re keeping your stress levels down. If all else fails, work with your doctor to rule out any potential medical issues.
Get yourself to do 10 minutes of exercise. Chances are it will turn into 20 or 30, and when you’re done you’ll feel more energetic than when you started. Even if it does stop at 10–that’s still 10 minutes of movement you wouldn’t have had otherwise!
A lack of energy is a huge opportunity to take stock of your life, see where the improvements can be made, and use the desire to feel good every day as the stimulus to make healthy changes.
Excuse #5. It’s too expensive.
Motivate! It’s not. You don’t even have to get that creative–there is tons of material out that that will teach you how to get a great workout without a gym, without equipment, even without tennis shoes. You don’t need any “thing” to get in shape. You just need you and your desire to improve your fitness level.
If you are motivated by gear and gadgets, there are lots of effective pieces of workout equipment that are not expensive. Consider adding a few to your living room. If you use it, it’s worth every penny no matter how much it costs!
What excuses have been holding you back from feeling good, enjoying movement, and loving life? How can you turn those excuses into the motivation you need to get in shape?Â