The top 5 excuses not to exercise (and my reasons why you should)

The top 5 excuses not to exercise (and my reasons why you should)

I love what I do but the one thing I get frustrated about are the excuses I hear – and I have heard them all.

Part of me understands this, not everyone is as passionate about exercise as I am – for some it is damn hard. But when we are talking about your body, health and fitness – the most important things in your life, then we have to stop the excuses and take the steps to a healthier and happier life.

I am sure we have all used one or more of these excuses not to exercise so here they are (and my counter argument for each one):

1. I don’t have the time

This is probably the biggest one.  Everyone is busy – with the demands of work, family, social activities and general day to day activities, there is often not a lot of spare time left.

But what if I was to say that a good workout takes less than 4% of your day. You don’t need to train for hours on end – just 45 minutes is enough if you really challenge yourself – it is all about quality not quantity.

How much time to you spend on Facebook? How much time in front of the computer? What about how long you watch TV? Could some of that time be spent on exercising?

What about doing a 30 minute HIIT session (high intensity interval training) or squeezing in some exercise while you are cooking or watching TV – every little bit counts.

Work, family and friends are all important but not as much as having a healthy and strong body. Make sure you put some time aside to spend on the most important investment of all – you.

2. I don’t have the money

Everything seems to be getting more expensive – food, petrol, rent, house prices, insurance – unfortunately your pay doesn’t seem to keep up.

You should never put a price on your health and fitness but there is a limit. You need to sit down and work out how much you can realistically spend on fitness. Then work out your budget – are you able to cut back on those expensive dinners out – can you  eat out less or take advantage of a 2 for 1 deal? If you love your holidays, check out some cheap flights or special deals. What supermarket specials are there? When it is time to renew your insurance, shop around? Are you getting the best deal on your home loan? There are so many ways you can save money

So ask yourself what is more important – eating avocado on toast at the local cafe or lowering your stress, having more energy and reducing the chance of heart disease?

3. I don’t have the energy

With people working long hours, not getting enough sleep, feeling stressed and not eating right, it is no wonder people feel so drained all the time.

But one of the great advantages of regular exercise is that it builds up your energy levels, increases your lung capacity and pumps more oxygen-filled blood to the brain. Not only that but exercise will improve your mood, you will sleep better plus exercise helps you mentally and improves your overall health and well being.

4. I am not fit enough

This reason honestly breaks my heart – people don’t think they are fit enough or worry they will be the unfittest person compared to everyone else.

This should be the exact reason you start exercising. Yes it is going to hurt at first and yes it will be tough but stick with it – trust me it will start to get easier, you will feel yourself getting stronger and will see a difference to how you look and feel.

And never worry about anyone else and what they are thinking – again focus on the most important person – that’s you!

5. It’s boring!

Not in my classes!!

But seriously I always say you should try different types of exercises and classes to see which ones you enjoy. Personally I have always loved any form of group fitness whether it be cycling, aerobics or strength training. However I’m not a fan of running long distances and am not the strongest swimmer. We all have exercises we love and loathe.

If you find something boring, then try something else. There are so many options available now – there really is something for everyone. So choose exercises you enjoy and will help you achieve your goals – whatever they might be.

 

 

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