Now that January is over, so are most people’s New Year’s Resolutions. They start with the best intentions every year, but the vast majority of folks don’t know how to properly identify what their true goals really are, why those goals are important to them, or how to set up an effective plan to actually achieve them. So in a matter of a few weeks, life happens and the old habits are still firmly entrenched. Instead of heading to the gym, the excuses for not working out become more frequent and the fitness goals get set aside until next January when the whole process is repeated.
Here are some of the most common excuses for not working out:
I Don’t Have Time
This is basically the grown up version of “the dog ate my homework.” People have time for the things that are most important to them. Yes, most folks are busy these days juggling work, raising kids, taking care of aging parents, and keeping up with the house chores. But the truth is, it doesn’t take much time to make significant improvement in your health and fitness if you do it right – a 20 minute high intensity interval circuit can give you a butt kicking cardio and strength workout. So stop blaming your job, your kids, or your spouse and start making time to improve your health and fitness. Contact me for a free consultation if you need some ideas.
I Can’t Afford To Join a Gym or Pay a Trainer
You don’t have to. Walking is free and you can do it anywhere. There are plenty of total body exercises that you can do that don’t require any equipment at all and can be done in your living room. If you read my blog, you already know that I recently gave away a free workout that’s a big hit with those who travel and never know what kind of facilities or equipment they will have access to on the road. I also have some dirt cheap workouts complete with pictures and descriptions that require nothing more than body weight available in PDF format from my pre-designed program catalog. They can be printed out from your computer or read from your smart phone and they’re less than five bucks.
I’m Too Old
My oldest client was 102. In fact, I’ve had several who’s age was in the triple digits. Working with older and elder adults is one of my specialties. I’ve had several clients with a wide variety of medical issues, including cognitive disorders, chronic diseases, and orthopedic issues. Strength and balance training in particular can greatly improve your quality of life in your golden years and help you remain living independently for as long as possible. So, if you’re still here on this Earth, you’re not too old to start improving your fitness.
Exercise Hurts
Since one of my specialties is working with post rehab and special population clients, some folks do have some discomfort with exercise, especially those with arthritis or injuries that have caused permanent disabilities. This can be a double edged sword since moving hurts, but the worst thing you can do is stop moving. If you are having pain with exercise, you may be doing activities that are inappropriate for your current health or fitness level, or you’re starting too much, too soon. If you are unsure of what activities are safe for you, your Doctor or Physical Therapist should be able to make recommendations for your specific situation.
No More Excuses
If you still think that your life is too complicated to be able to fit in some type of workout on a regular basis and you need a little motivation, I’d like to introduce you to Luke Ericson. He’s got some great exercises that can be done with one arm if you want to rest your other one.
What’s Your Excuse?
I’ll bet it doesn’t fly 😉