Oh excuses! We make excuses all the time when we’re feeling defensive. It’s a way for us to feel like we’ve been relieved from something that should have otherwise been done. The word excuse literally means to attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify, according to the definition in the Merriam Webster dictionary. We make excuses everyday. After all, bad habits are hard to kick.
We also procrastinate, thinking we’ll have another opportunity to do certain things. Let’s be honest, most of the time we doubt we’ll ever get to it, whatever it is. Finding ourselves in front of the tv too often, or scrolling through our phones frequently makes us cringe inside a little, but we continue to do it anyway because technology is a huge part of the 21st century and our lives. But instead of binging that one show you kind of like, or scrolling through Instagram and wishing you were those fitness models, why not get your butt off the couch and do something about it?
We procrastinate because we’re unconfident in our abilities. That comes straight out of a psychology study. Procrastination stems from self esteem issues and low confidence. We just don’t believe in ourselves and our abilities, so we push off important things until we realize we can’t break the vicious cycle. But the truth is, we just have to start! That’s the biggest hurdle! We have to break the chains of low self esteem and tell ourselves that we’re worth it; we’re worth the fight even if it’s hard.
Once you start a healthy habit, your body adapts. It then even craves the habit. Once you start exercising on a daily basis, your body will crave the physical endurance, just like it would begin to crave healthy foods if you started incorporating them into your diet. You just won’t be happy or satisfied eating junk food anymore. The advantages of a healthy lifestyle, including fitness, are endless; longer lifespan, less health issues, more confidence, better looking body. It’s time that we stop making excuses. Here are 5 ways to fight exercise excuses… and WIN!
1. I’m Too Busy.
“I’m too busy”. This is the single most widely used excuse there is. We use this excuse for everything. We’re too busy to hang out with an old friend, too busy to make time for our relationship with our spouse. We’re even too busy to spend time with the kids aside from the bare essential duties. This excuse ruins lives. Will you be too busy for your health too? What’s more important?
What are the health advantages of making time to exercise? If you have kids, you probably want to watch them grow up, right? We all want to be well enough to play and run around with our kids, lift them on our shoulders and be their little carriage ride. If we’re obese or suffering from health issues because we don’t exercise, we can’t do these things. We’re lowering not only our quality of life, but also our kids’ quality of life. Let’s look forward into the future instead of focusing on how hard it is today. Now let’s look way into the future and realize our kids will someday have kids of their own, and those kiddos are going to want to play with their grandparents.
Where does the time go? Now, when it comes to the time we spend on our phones, computers, and surfing the web the number is not some unknown rhetorical question. Now we can actually monitor and track what it is online that’s sucking all our time away. There are tons of tools we can use to find out what we need to cut back on online. If you have an Android, download Quality Time to track how long you spend on what on your device. For Chrome, there’s a tool called a Webtime Tracker that you can use.
If you have an iPhone, there’s a built in tracker on your actual phone. You go into the Settings and go to Battery. Then scroll down to “Battery Usage By App” and there you’ll see the percentage of battery usage for each app.
Look, a good workout doesn’t have to take up your whole day. In fact, you really only need to start with about 30 minutes 3 days a week, or 30 minutes per day if you want to lose weight. Use the tools on your phone or computer to track 30 minutes of your time, whether it’s on Instagram, Pinterest, an app, or just browsing the web and eliminate just 30 minutes of that usage and turn it into a time for you to exercise. It’s really as easy as that!
If you really don’t spend that much time on your phone or device, and the above doesn’t apply to you, you can still find time throughout your day to incorporate some exercise. For instance, everyone has at least a 30 minute lunch break, and 15 minute breaks at work. Why not use that time to go for a brisk walk around the building you work in? Make a few laps. You can also wake up 30 minutes earlier than you normally do and fit in a quick exercise.
2. I Can’t Afford A Gym Membership.
A lot of individuals think that they need money in order to be healthy. We must admit that to an extent that statement has a bit of truth to it when it comes to a few things. You need health insurance to use it as a preventive health approach, and insurance costs money. Healthy food options like salads and foods rich in nutrients can sometimes be more expensive than an unhealthy alternative. We get that. But working out doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, and you don’t actually need a gym membership to get fit.
If one of your excuses for missing a workout is that you cannot afford a gym membership or fancy exercise equipment, keep reading because we’ve got news for you. There are several, countless even, exercise routines and weight loss exercises you can do from the comfort of your own home that don’t involve a single penny. You can exercise at home without a fancy machine, using things around your house. For example, you can use a bench or a chair to work out several areas of your body. Triceps dips, chair planks, Russian twists are just some of the exercises you can do using a chair.
Don’t forget that you can exercise plenty with just a mat too. You can do yoga, sit ups and push ups, just to name a few options. And if you’re able to spend a little bit of money, free weights give you an amazing workout and provide muscle strength while being pretty inexpensive. Finally, if you feel you can really get a lot out of a gym membership, certain places like Planet Fitness offer memberships starting as low as $20 a month so you’re not spending a fortune.
3. There’s No Point; I’m Too Unhealthy And It’ll Never Work For Me.
First of all, this is a lie so don’t believe that little voice. If you’re overweight, and that little voice is telling you that you’ll never achieve the results you want, just remember that you CAN. It’s going to be hard, but you only have ONE life. And you’re the one that controls it, so you have the power to change yourself, and nobody else can do that for you.
It can be disappointing working really hard, and not seeing the results you want right away. Fitness is like that, you don’t see results overnight. Nobody does. It takes time, and you just have to be patient and trust that exercising is helping, even if you don’t see that right away.
Go online and take a look at some before and afters of people just like you who worked hard and achieved real results, these will motivate you. Start slow and as time goes by, weeks, months even you’ll notice that you feel different, and you’ll love who you see in the mirror again. Never give up!
If the scale is bringing you down because the numbers aren’t really decreasing, put the scale away for a while. Remember that results take time. Sometimes checking your waist measurements shows you that you’re losing inches, without necessarily seeing much happening on the scale, so try measuring your waist instead. Also remember that when you’re building muscle, the number on the scale isn’t going to drop dramatically because muscle weighs something too. Focus on how you feel and what you see in the mirror. Your clothing will begin to fit differently, and you’ll have more energy and even confidence.
4. The Weather Sucks, I’ll Wait For A Sunny Day.
If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain like the Northwest, you know that a sunny day is far from reach. That doesn’t give you the excuse to quit exercising for two seasons! You can’t control the weather but you can control your life. Exercise in a gym, or in the comfort of your own home on days where you don’t want to go outside. But remember, there is no reason you can’t put on some rain gear, a rain jacket, and some sneaks and go for a run in the rain like a boss!
5. I’m Too Tired.
The ” I’m too tired” excuse is all too popular. This excuse comes out when we feel sorry for ourselves. We spent the whole day working long hours, had a crazy commute home, got home late, and we just finished up giving the kids a bath and putting them to bed. And now you want me to exercise? The last thing on our minds may be to exercise. But the more exercise you get, the more energy you’ll have!
Exercise gets your endorphins flowing and boosts your energy levels. If in the evening exercise isn’t feasible and you really are just too exhausted to even consider getting a work out in, consider waking up 30 minutes in advance the next morning and exercising. If you’re worried about getting enough sleep, don’t worry! You can go to bed 30 minutes earlier too, so you won’t be losing a wink of sleep.
Some people need a little extra boost because of health issues, like individuals who are anemic. Try incorporating additional supplements and vitamins into your diet. At your next grocery trip, fill the cart up with fruits and vegetables high in vitamins and fiber. Iron is especially important for people who are chronically tired. Boost your intake of foods rich in iron, and even consider taking an iron supplement. Just remember to drink a lot of water because too much iron can cause GI issues like constipation.
The advantages of incorporating exercise into your daily life are endless. Exercise is good for your health in so many ways. It improves your physical, mental, even spiritual health and makes you happier, stronger, and more confident. If you’ve always wanted to lose weight and to get fit, stop scrolling through your Instagram and wishing you could be fit, and actually get fit! Throw out all the excuses and fight the temptations! You got this!