More on excuses...

Yesterday, I posted about the two most common reasons people cite for why we choose not to exercise and how we can overcome them.  Today I would like to suggest that those reasons aren’t the real ones; they’re just the ones we think will get us out of the responsibility.  Really, we don’t exercise because we don’t want to do it.

Not wanting to do it comes in lots of flavors.  I’m tired.  I’m lazy.  I’m fat.  The gym makes me feel bad about myself.  My shoes hurt my feet.  It’s boring.  I don’t want to end up looking like a bodybuilder.  At some point, many of those may apply.

The trick is to find the ways to make working out fun.  Then we stop worrying about being fat, lazy, tired, and all the rest.  We’re too busy enjoying ourselves.

We can try:

•      Going with a friend who makes us laugh.

•      Declaring our own personal theme week:  wacky workout, anyone?

•      Loud/energetic/silly music.

•      A new class or teacher.

•      Bribery:  bubble bath afterwards?  New murder mystery?

Let’s find the way.

Excuses that don't work

The most common reasons people give for not exercising are lack of time and lack of money.  News flash:  exercise doesn’t have to take much of either one.

Half an hour a day, even if it is broken up into ten minute segments, is enough exercise to keep a body healthy.  It’s a much better way to spend a break than smoking a cigarette or eating a candy bar.

Walking is free.  We all do it all the time.  Giving it a little direction is all we need to make it exercise.  Also free:  squats, pushups, pull ups, lunges, jumping jacks, burpees, dips.

We can do this.

Two things

When we get into a fitness rut, there are (at least) two things that can bust us out.

One is heavy lifting.  To do this one safely, grab a trainer or buddy because otherwise you are getting risky.  Spotting is for champs, not chumps.  Also, because heavy lifting requires longer rest periods, it’s good to have someone around for chatting.  Pick two or three exercises at most for a session, and make sure one of them is squats, deadlifts, or lunges and the other ones target upper body muscles.  Start with a weight at which ten reps is easy.  Increase gradually, until five reps are an appropriate set.  By this point, rest periods between sets should be at least two minutes and preferably closer to five (see what I mean about the chatting?).  Keep increasing the weight in small increments until you can only complete one lovely rep.  Your buddy should be keeping an eye on your form for you and, if it deteriorates, is charged with telling you to stop.  At that point, you have reached your one-rep maximum and you can move on to the next exercise.  Keep track of that number because in a few weeks when you blow past it, you will feel extra good!

The other thing we can do is add high intensity intervals.  If you are a runner, this means sprints or hills (or both!).  Bikers, same deal.  If you love the cardio machines, up the resistance, grade, speed, or all of them for a minute at a time and then recover for a minute or two.

Small changes in routine can have big payoffs!