There are a lot of legitimate reasons not to workout. Maybe your doctor told you not to, maybe you needed your sleep, maybe you have an injury or you're sick. The key is to be honest with yourself so you can determine when you miss a workout if you are making excuses or you legitimately need to rest. As the saying goes, "The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bull$hit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it." Maybe a nicer way of saying that is that sometimes we need to get out of our own way. We make these excuses why we can't workout, then we believe them. It all starts in our heads. Believe you can do it first. Then do it.
"I don't have time"
This one is easy to debunk because it really doesn't take a lot of time to fit in exercise in your life. Maybe you legitimately don't have an hour a day to workout but fitting in 20-30 minutes a day is all you need. Try getting up 30 minutes earlier in the morning or squeezing in three separate ten minutes workouts through out the day. Yes, that counts. Take your dog for a walk. Do pushups during commercials of Game of Thrones or lunges while you're waiting for the microwave to ding. It doesn't have to be structured and scheduled. Move your body. Check out my workout archive for plenty of quick workouts that are 4-15 minutes long. Something is always better than nothing.
"I can't afford a gym membership"
A gym membership may sound like the ideal workout environment with a 24 hour schedule, a pool, sauna and treadmills for all. But a gym can also be crowded, expensive and intimidating. While it may be nice to have the convenience of gym, it simply is not necessary to get in shape. If you can't afford a gym membership you can do workouts at home with DVDs, look up free workouts on You-Tube or follow my workouts every Wednesday for #workoutwednesday. There a ton of free resources on the internet and you can get an effective full body workout with no equipment except your own bodyweight. No gym membership needed.
"I'm too Old or OVERWEIGHT"
I recommend speaking with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program, but using your age or current weight as an excuse not to exercise is just a cop out. Once your doctor gives you clearance to workout this excuse is debunked. A fitness professional can help develop a safe and effective program for any age or fitness level. Not everyone needs to join CrossFit to get in shape, there are plenty of low-impact workout plans that will be effective for you at your current fitness level. If you are not sure where to start, work with a professional to help you reach your goals.
"I hate to exercise"
Exercise is physical movement with the purpose to improve health and fitness. Maybe you hate running. Maybe someone dragged you to a fitness boot camp once and you almost died (jokes!). That's OK. There are plenty of ways to move your body. The key is to find the thing that you enjoy and stick with it. Some people like walking, some people like tennis. My dog loves to run so I indulge him. There are many paths to fitness. There is no need to follow the traditional route. It may take some experimenting, but try some fitness classes, round up some friends for a hike or jump on a bike with your kids. There is something out there for everyone.
"I don't have child care." "My kids keep interrupting me." "I have to drive my kids to...."
I get it. No matter what their age, kids keep you busy. Sometimes (OK most of the time) they need your attention. You can barely use the bathroom without them pounding down the door, let alone get away for an hour to workout. But kids can be a great motivator to exercise. You want to be healthy so you can keep up with them and be around for them for years to come. Whether they are 5 or 15, getting them involved in exercise is a great way to lead by example and be a role model for a healthy lifestyle. Maybe it's a family bike ride, hike or tag football in backyard. Teaching your kids that exercise can be fun, is a good way to remind yourself.
There's one thing that always sticks with me when I catch myself making excuses as to why I can't do something. I think it's human nature, we rationalize our bad decisions. I once told my sister that I can't get myself out of bed to workout in the morning anymore and she said, "It's not that you can't, it's that you choose not to." It's true, if I turn off the alarm and roll over to go back to bed instead of working out, I made a choice. Works towards making the choices that bring you closer to your goals, rather than making excuses that set you further behind.
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