If you lack a ton of time and patience, getting your workouts in can be challenging. You may not be able to do the high intensity interval training workouts at first, but those will come later. Just start at the beginning by doing what you can do. You might find that it is tough to stay motivated. We all know that exercise is good for us and very important for our health, but sometimes we use excuses to convince ourselves not to exercise.
These excuses are not only detrimental to our health, but they also distract us and divert our attention from the essential things in life such as our relationships with friends, family, and coworkers, the understanding of who we are and why we are here, our spiritual connection to something larger than ourselves, and how we support others and help solve our world’s problems.
Journaling is a great way to get in touch with yourself. As you write down your thoughts on paper, you may discover that some of your inhibiting beliefs hold you back. For instance, it takes three hours a week at the gym to do cardio work, and if you don’t have the time and don’t feel like you can spare that time in your day, you will start making excuses. “There are so many other things to deal with. Why do I need to get my heart rate up and wear myself out, I’m happy just keeping the weight off the way I am right now.” When you make excuses, you start putting off working out until it becomes an overwhelming and unmotivating effort.
Interestingly, a lot of these excuses are just in your head. They’re not real reasons or factual issues preventing exercise; they’re just thoughts you are telling yourself that become barriers to exercise.
Five Excuses That Keep Us From Being Healthy
Excuse #1: “I don’t have time.” We all need to fit exercise into our schedule at times, but you must be prepared to commit yourself. And that time must be consistent.
Excuse #2: “I’m just not in good enough shape to work out; my body isn’t where it needs to be.” Let’s address this one first. Just because you aren’t “in the best shape of your life” doesn’t mean you can’t get up and go. The problem is that when we feel this way, that’s often when we begin to associate with others who are in the same situation as us and let them influence how we think about our bodies.
Excuse #3: “I just don’t want to.” Motivation is crucial for any exercise. Before you begin your workout, think about the benefits of exercise, such as improving your heart health, helping to reduce stress, strengthening your muscles and bones, and improving your sleep. Exercise is also suitable for building up your “reserve,” or energy level, so you can go more consistently throughout the day without feeling fatigued.
Excuse #4: “I need something special to work out—this bag work/that class/ group is not for me.” There are times when physical activity is not the best option. It’s great to do something when you’re not feeling up to it, but if you want to get into shape and stay there, you need to look at what kind of activity works best for your body.
Excuse #5: “I don’t want to use equipment at the gym.” One of the most familiar excuses for not working out is that gyms can be intimidating for many people. You are correct in thinking that you shouldn’t have to feel intimidated. No one should expect you to walk in without knowing what you’re doing. If you look at it as a way to challenge yourself and realize that it is something new, like learning any skill, then it can be fun to go work out.
Even if you don’t know what weight training is all about, there are people there who are willing to show you around and help.
Ways to Change This Lousy Pattern
1. Work-life balance. It is impossible to actually “make time” for exercise, so don’t set yourself up for failure. Create some work-life balance. If you have a difficult time fitting exercise into your schedule, ask yourself how you’d like to be able to make some space in your life so that you can fit it all in.
2. Make exercising a priority. Our lives are busy enough; getting busier isn’t always something we want. But when we look at what’s going on in our lives, it’s not that we accomplish more with less, it’s just that other things get pushed aside.
3. Maintain a positive attitude. Keeping that positive attitude is important. If you’re in a hurry and have to run out the door, you may not leave your house and run through hurdles. The same is true for exercise. If you’re rushing to begin, put it off until later.
Once you drop some of the excuses and start an exercise routine, it will become part of your life. You will soon see some benefits from how you look and feel. When you do, it will keep you going.
Photo Credits
Image is from Pixabay
Contributing Author Bio
Ashley Andrews
Ashley Andrews is an entrepreneur and blogger. She now lives in San Diego, CA and is happily self employed. She enjoys writing about anything that catches her interest, especially tech and entrepreneurship.
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