Health & Fitness
Bust Through the 2 Biggest Fitness Excuses
Don't have time to workout? Or do you find exercise boring? Here are 6 ways to break through those excuses.
If you want to lose weight and get into a healthier lifestyle, understand that it starts with “Mind over Matter.” You have to mentally prepare yourself to get into the rhythm of working out regularly. There may be other activities that you enjoy more or other priorities you place ahead of physical activity, but think about it: what will ensure your short and long-term health better than exercise? Here are some strategies for overcoming the two top fitness-related excuses.
Excuse: I don’t have time.
Be creative to find ways to maximize your time. For instance:
1. Get up early to squeeze in your fitness time first thing in the morning before you even have time to conjure up excuses not to workout.
2. Instead of exercising for a full hour, try interval training for 30 minutes – which is where you workout at full intensity for a few minutes, followed by a few minutes of lower-intensity activity. Research shows you burn twice as many calories by changing your pace for 30 minutes than by going at a steady pace for 60 minutes.
3. Find weekend fitness activities you enjoy. Instead of taking the kids to the movies on Saturday afternoons, why not take a family bike ride, go rock climbing, take a swim or schedule a hiking trip?
Excuse: I’m bored.
There are certain personality types that live to exercise. Most of us, however, feel that working out can be a little bit boring at times. Overcome boredom by using these tips:
4. Join a sport. The treadmill can definitely get boring. Instead, learn an active sport like tennis, basketball, volleyball, racquetball, or baseball. Add swimming, cycling, rollerblading and other more enjoyable cross-training exercises to your schedule.
5. Vary your routine. Make sure that you are doing different workouts all week long. Many people make the mistake of doing five days of cardio – which not only is boring, but also bores the body and leads to a weight loss plateau as well. Some days should be cardio days, others strength-training; throw a little core conditioning, yoga and cross-training in and you’ll find it difficult to be so bored.
6. Bring a friend and try a class. Often times, it’s much more fun training in a group setting. Kill two birds with one stone by merging fitness and social priorities. Karate, spin, zumba, power-lifting and kickboxing classes are fun for friends and also great ways to meet like minds. You just may be surprised by how fun they are too!
Next post, I'll be back with ways to conquer the 6 biggest workout barriers. Until then, find more tips at Connecticut's Personal Trainer website.
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