For some or other reason I have had to deal with a lot of excuses lately from clients and friends who have very “legitimate” reasons as to why the potential Elle McPherson inside them is hiding behind a Bridget Jones… or worse. So today I will tackle the most common excuse I have been hearing this week: “I don’t have time to exercise!”
The truth is, we all have the same amount of time. Yep, 24 hours in a day, no matter who you are, where you are, etc. How we use these hours is the key and basically people spend their hours doing things they really must do (e.g. go to work, do the chores) and things they like to do. And since exercise seldom falls into any of these two categories (particularly at the beginning) it needs to be important enough to feature in your daily schedule. But be honest now… on your list of priorities where does exercise fall? Is it even on the list? Here is what I actually hear when you guys give me your reasons for skipping that workout:
- Exercise is boring. The little conversation with the regular gym bunnies in between sets is nothing compared to Desperate Housewives. There is no drama, no excitement, no immediate fun. Shame!
- There are no immediate consequences to skipping a workout. It's not like you'll gain 10 pounds or suddenly get heart disease if you miss one day. Plus, you keep reading in all the glossy mags that three times a week is enough, so surely you can do it tomorrow, right? Well, before you know it, a month has passed and 5 pounds have stuck to your ribs! (I know… it was just Sam’s birthday party… followed by the deadline at work and by James’ house move and… and… and…)
- You're waiting for things to calm down. Haven't you figured it out yet? Life doesn't calm down as we get older. Jobs, kids, family, social obligations...they're never going to go away. If you're waiting for a clear schedule, you'll be waiting for a long time. If you really want to exercise, find a way to do it now.
- You're waiting to fall in love with exercise. Think you'll suddenly wake up one morning, itching to get to that workout? It just doesn't work that way. You have to work at it every day and find that motivation wherever you can.
- You get frustrated by lack of results. It is not your fault that you got caught up in the immediate gratification thing… it’s just how the world is today, right? Nope! We may be able to get things easy from the store, get information on our fingertips and chat to friends on Facebook but some things stay the same. Ask the farmers in
- You don't have huge chunks of time to do all this exercise. That’s the crappiest of excuses out there! No really! If you do it right, you can get a workout in 10 minutes and kick butt in 20! So, get off your bum right now!
So, here are some ideas you may want to try to get on the exercise wagon… and stay there:
- Get up an hour earlier and go for a run first thing in the morning – just like a boring chore. Then you don’t need to worry about it for the rest of the day.
- Schedule your yoga class in your diary just like you would any other business meeting. Write “appointment” (as opposed to “yoga”) and don’t let anyone talk you into changing your schedule.
- Split your routine into mini-workouts: when you need to use the bathroom, go to the one three storeys down in your office building and walk back up; walk to a café two blocks away at lunch time (instead of the one in front of your building) and climb up the stairs of your flat when you go home. When meeting friends at the Waterfront, park at the lot next to the Radisson hotel and walk to there and back. (Bonus, that parking is free!). The possibilities are endless!
- Cut TV time to 3 hours a week! I mean can you really argue that watching Will & Grace is more important than looking good? If so, I am busy making T-shirts that say “I am fat cause I love TV”; call me and I will organise you one! Think about all the programs that you watch weekly and decide which of them you could sacrifice for some exercise. It’s OK to have a “TV night” but remember… too many TV nights equal a large behind. You decide what’s more worth it!
Why don’t you guys share your ideas and how you manage to find time to clock in your fitness routine?
Ciao!
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