Top 2 Reasons People DON’T Exercise (And How to Beat Them)
Excuses- I think I’ve heard them all (hey, I’ve made them myself). There are so many reasons people feel they cannot fit in the time to exercise – whether the excuses are truly valid is the real question. With a little creativity and a bit of discipline you can jump over those barriers keeping you from your fitness and health goals.
The number one reason men and women don’t exercise is TIME (or lack of it). Many of us lead very busy lives and feel it’s just too difficult or daunting to schedule the time to go to a class; the gym or a run, so it becomes an all or nothing situation. We feel if we don’t have the time to do our full workout (plus possibly having to add in traveling, showering and socializing) that we just don’t do anything.
But here are a few tips that could make exercise more conducive to your lifestyle. Current health guidelines suggest adults get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity most days of the week. Did you know that that 30 minutes can be accrued throughout your day? You get the exact same benefits of exercising 30 minutes straight as you would if you broke those 30 minutes into, let’s say, three 10-minute sessions. Consider doing body weight calisthenics; doing stairs at home or work; jogging and jacks on the spot; commercial break squats and pushups, or whatever you decide to do just, keep track of the time spent being active. As long as you accumulate 30 or more minutes of moderate intensity activity by the end of the day – you’re good to go! Breaking it down into smaller increments can make exercise more manageable, more tolerable and maybe even a little less daunting. It’s easier to convince yourself to sweat it out for 5- 10 minutes than 30 or more.
The number two reason for not exercising is ENERGY (as in not having any gas in the tank to work out regardless of the time). This is a tough one and the irony of it is regular exercise will actually increase your energy levels but you have to get to that point first.
What I find works best for myself and most people is scheduling your workouts into your calendars, preferably earlier in the day. We’ve all been their, where we tell ourselves we’ll get to it later and we all know “later” never comes. Treat your workout like a meeting or a social date and take it just as seriously. You would never blow off coffee with a friend or a meeting because you’re too tired. You would do your best to show up and be present because you have a responsibility to your friend or work. Well just remember, you have a responsibility to YOU. Treat yourself and your “me – time” sessions just as seriously. By exercising earlier in the day, you get it over with which will not only give you a jump start for but make you feel so much better having completed it rather than have it hanging over your head like a dark cloud all day. Personally, I do most of my workouts very early (before my family is awake). This has a few benefits in that I have built in childcare; I have my entire day for other things including my kids and work; the predawn quiet and calm is actually very soothing (there is very little traffic and people to deal with; the gym is quiet and you don’t have to compete for any equipment); if you take a group fitness class at that time- you are guaranteed to be with a small but dedicated group who form a unique bond that only comes from working out with others so early in the morning – this will also keep you accountable. Which brings me to another point, whether time or energy (or both) is barriers for you, committing to a workout partner or group may be your best bet. Having company will not only make YOU more liable to show up but it will be more enjoyable as well.
