Do These Fitness Excuses Sound Familiar?

Getting fit is something we all want to do, and probably our annual New Years resolution, but not many of us are still sticking with it in March. Is it a lack of time, motivation, energy or money?

Do any of the following sound familiar?

“I haven’t got the time…”

After a working day, it’s easy to let the gym slide. Even if your gym is literally across the road from your office or home, there’s probably a few excuses flying around your head.

Not having enough time affects both diet and exercise, because preparing healthier food is much harder than hitting the drive-thru. Everyone has to modify their lifestyle differently, some fitting a run or the gym in at 7am before work, and some preferring to keep it for the weekend. Unfortunately, one workout a week won’t cut it for anyone wanting to make lasting, noticeable changes to their weight and muscle definition, so there has to be a time compromise somewhere.

“I can’t get motivated”

If you’ve decided that you’re going to go for the early morning pre-work gym session, and you’ve made your mind up the night before, beware the change of mood you could experience when that alarm goes off in the morning.

We all begin with good intentions and then a cold morning, bleary eyes and tiredness makes us retreat back under the duvet. Don’t let it stop you from achieving the results you want! It’s always the getting out of bed part that’s the hardest, once you’re up, you’re up!

“I feel self-conscious in the gym…”

Feeling like all eyes are on you when you’re exercising is a difficult thought to reconcile. Because it’s preying on your mind, it’s highly likely that you’re watching everyone else, comparing yourself and worrying that they’re doing the same. In all likelihood, they’re probably watching their own technique in the mirror, letting their mind wander, or glued to the TV screens to pass the time.

The only way to beat these negative thoughts is to just keep going and get used to the idea that sweating in front of everyone and pushing yourself isn’t a controversial thing. It’s a gym, it’s the best place for it! Anyone who’d judge you for it has clearly missed the point. Good techniques are learned and stamina is developed, you’ll get used to it and become more comfortable if you keep going.

“My partner isn't behind me…”

Dieting and trying to maintain a healthy weight is particularly difficult if you’re coming home to find that your partner really wants to order pizza. You’ll either cave and join in, or have to endure the misery of watching them enjoy themselves while you eat brown rice, right? Not necessarily.

Thankfully, there are plenty of resources online which means you don’t have to eat broccoli all the time to stick to a healthy diet - there’s much more out there. Encourage your partner to follow the same regime, and if they’re not keen at first, lead by example and become a pro in the kitchen. They’ll soon start wondering what all of those delicious smells are.

“I’ll just give up anyway…”

Some habits are harder to shake than others. Smoking tobacco for example has become more and more taboo in the last ten years, with smoking banned in workplaces and public places since 2007, health warnings plastered all over cigarette packets and plenty of health information out there, tobacco-smoking has become increasingly unpopular.

For those quitting tobacco, thoughts of defeat are everywhere, but going completely cold turkey isn't likely to make the process easier, and you’re probably more likely to crack sooner. Replacing tobacco with e-cigarettes can help to control cravings without ingesting tobacco, tar, carbon monoxide or any other harmful chemicals commonly associated with traditional cigarette smoking. Stopping your body from experiencing those painful withdrawal symptoms will help you through the process and make you less likely to cave in and smoke tobacco again, after all, it’s the nicotine that you’re craving, not the cancer-causing chemicals.

Next time one of these excuses starts to cross your mind, stop yourself! And if you have a moment of weakness, it's not the end of the world, you can still pick up where you left off.