"The simple act of writing out a prescription for exercise is an excellent approach to being proactive in regard to your health. It's also far more logical, inexpensive and actually radically reduces your risk of almost every chronic disease known to man. A daily exercise routine is one of the main factors in achieving optimal wellness."
Will you find the time to hit the gym today, or will the busyness of the day leave you exhausted on the couch? Quite frankly, you don't have reasons to not do it - you only have excuses.
If you are like most who haven’t trained with the right trainer’s, then exercise isn't at the top of your list of favorite things. You'd rather be immersed in a bowl of ice cream, enjoying your favorite TV show or dining out with friends instead of sweating in the gym. But the fact is that your favorite things add inches to your waist, and you know that a larger waist equals an increase in health problems, not to mention an overall decrease in your quality of life.
It's time to get serious about exercise.
You could start by changing your attitude toward exercise. If you go into it with a bad attitude, chances are you won't enjoy it. It's time to accept the fact that you can enjoy exercise.
Consider the following:
Have you written off exercise based on a particular type of routine – maybe you would enjoy something different. The truth is that no one can deny how great it feels to accomplish a challenging workout. It's rewarding, invigorating and feels great. You simply need to find the right form of exercise for you.
Try to pinpoint the main reason that you dislike exercise. Is it the uncomfortable workout clothes that you own? Maybe it is time for a new style. Is it trying to decide what exercises to use at the gym? Maybe it is time for a personal trainer (more on that later). Is it the pain that you feel in your shoulder when swimming? Maybe it is time to find a new form of cardiovascular exercise - one that won't aggravate your injury.
See, the truth of the matter is that there are many different forms of exercises that will give you the results that you want. Don't like the gym? There's a program for you. Don't like running? There is an alternative. Don't have the time? There are time friendly exercise routines that will give you incredible results in under an hour.
Like I said, when it comes to exercise you have tons of options. But it all starts with ditching the excuses and asking a qualified fitness expert like the training family at Fitness Mastermind for the right program for you.
Is it really that easy? Yes.
Just like we talked about above, if excuses are holding you back, we’ve more than likely seen & heard them before, & know the remedy to your roadblocks! Below are the top excuses as well as remedies for each(Now you have zero reasons to not get up & do it!):
Excuse #1: “I don't know how I'm going to find the time to exercise.”
· Break your exercise up throughout the day (morning walk and evening weight training)
· Take planned breaks to exercise
· Short walk, run stairs, etc.
· Commit to a specific amount of time and stick to it
· Consider exercising in the morning before you start your day
· Consider exercising during your lunch break, eat something immediately afterwards
· Establish a set routine after work that allows more time for exercise
· Pack your workout bag and have it ready before the next day
· Place it in your car or by the door
· Get things done during physical activity in schedule
· Bike for transportation
· Park further away and walk
· Walk to the store
· On cardio machines (bikes, tread walking, etc.) prepare to-do lists, make phone calls, do work on your handheld PDA or smart phone, etc.
· Exercise instead of watching TV…Better yet, watch TV or listen to the radio while you are exercising
· Consult a trainer to assist you in purchasing a home gym or designing a good home/office program to do with little or no equipment
· If you get so busy you may forget to exercise, set re-occurring alarms or notices to exercise during your scheduled time(handheld PDA, computer, or watch)
· Understand "I don't have enough time to exercise" is just another excuse
o Even the busiest professionals such as doctors and lawyers (even those with families) find time to exercise and eat right
· Make exercise and eating right a priority!
· Understand you will more productive if you exercise regularly
Excuse #2: “Family obligations may make it difficult to exercise”
· Share your goals with your family
o Ask them for their support
o Having explained that you have set aside a particular time to exercise can potentially minimize future conflicts or misunderstandings
· Those close to you will have the opportunity to understand the importance of your goals and the time you have set aside for them
· Participate in physical activities with your family. Be creative
· Make a special effort to support family members in non-exercise activities
· Allow each family member to take turns each week to select a special activity the whole family will participate in.
o When it comes your turn, select a physical activity (walk, cycling, hike, swim, etc.) the whole family may enjoy
o Find other activities your family members can participate in while you exercise
· Consider joining a family friendly fitness facility
· Invite your wife or kids to exercise with you
· Talk to your family about improving time management
· Set firm boundaries on time you give yourself to exercise
· Make time for yourself!
· Understand regular exercise will make you a better parent or care giver
· Wake up before the family and exercise
Excuse #3: “It's Hard For Me To Exercise When I'm Tired/ Fatigued.”
· Exercise around the same time each day so your body will become accustom to gearing up during this time each day
· Realize you will start feeling more energetic as you continue to exercise at the same time each day
o Likewise, go to sleep and awake at the same time every day; even on weekends
· Rate your level of fatigue before and after an exercise session to see if it increases your energy level
· Plan on "exercising light" or at least 20 minutes on days that you’re feeling over-fatigued
o Most often, once you just show up and have warmed up, you will likely find it is not much more effort to continue exercising
· During your aerobic exercise, adopt a "rest-exercise-rest-exercise" system to balance your rest and exercise needs
o Identify whether your fatigue is physical, or simply a "mental fog" and adopt ways to get through the haze, and exercise
· Follow recommended Dietary Guidelines to improve your energy
· Meet with a nutrition specialist to make sure your nutrition intake is adequate in accordance with your daily requirements. This is where most people are surprised at how inadequate they are.
· Eat a snack or meal 1-2 hours before you exercise
· Eat immediately after strenuous exercise to enhance recovery
· Talk to your doctor if you feel your fatigue is medically related
Excuse #4: “Too Many Things To Worry About At One Time To Lose The Weight”
· God didn’t create everything in one night, nor should you be expected to. Realize right off the bat that things won’t happen over-night.
· For now, start with the most difficult aspect of your plan
· Focus on the most difficult first, but keep your “peripheral vision” on the other aspects with a loose grip.
o Start working more thoroughly on your fitness training, adherence, programming, and again-adherence.
· Begin making more healthy food choices, but avoid too-strenuous of calorie-counting, carb-watching, etc. Simply keep in mind the quality of each calorie, and try to eliminate/lower the obvious(cokes, candies, etc.)
· Consult a Fitness Professional that can help you with both your fitness training/programming, as well as your nutrition programming. He/she will be able to accurately break down the timing.
Excuse #5: “Work Demands Make It Difficult To Exercise”
· Plan your workouts around your work schedule
· Get up earlier and exercise before work or find a regular convenient time to exercise
· Make it routine: every week day at the same time is a great goal!
· Plan a back up schedule
o Use it only when necessary and not because you feel tired
· Take planned breaks to exercise while working
o Short walk, run stairs, etc.
o Pack your workout bag and have it ready before the next day place it in your car or by the door
o If you miss your workouts forgive yourself and move on
o Immediately pick up where you left off if you must miss a day or two
o Start back gradually if you miss more that several days.
· Get support from those close to you
o Let them know when you will be exercising and how important it is to you
o Ask your spouse or someone close to you to ask you if you've exercised or how many times you've exercised every week
For every problem, there is a solution; Likewise-for every excuse, there is a remedy! Successful changers seek out or stumble onto the right strategies. Weight loss, for instance, is challenging, but researchers have learned that regular weigh-ins increase the chances of success by more than 80%. And when you're trying to get yourself up off the couch, having a plan B (like using an exercise DVD when rain dampens your enthusiasm for a power walk) makes you 20% more likely to become a habitual exerciser.
So point blank-what is it that is holding you back? Regardless of what kind of obstacle, time-constraint, or family obligations you’re facing that are seemingly “holding you back” from exercising, you are not alone! Somebody else, somewhere else, at some other point in time, has faced that same obstacle and overcome it-and you can too!
Until Next Time!
Keep it fit,
Fitness Mastermind, LLC
