Why Your Exercise Excuses are Junk
Sometimes the truth hurts, especially when it comes to our crappy exercise excuses. Seriously, they are bad… We’ve heard them all and know that if you stick to a good plan you can reach incredible results. We brought in a few awesome experts to share some of the excuses they commonly hear and how to overcome them! Here we go:
How many of these exercise excuses have you made?
1. “I don’t have time!”
We get it, everybody has a busy schedule, and more often than not you have a full life before you decide to add getting in shape to the to-do list.
This is where quality coaching is key. Everyone who comes to see me has the basic goal of getting in shape… it’s why you see a personal trainer. The catch is that getting in shape is a very superficial goal, we have to take the time to ask why they want to get in shape. Often these will result in simple answers such as “to look better naked”, or at the beach, etc.
Again, it is up to us to help our clients get to the root of why they have these goals. A more accurate “why” will be something like: “I am just getting over a bad break-up and I want to feel better about myself as I get back into the dating game.” This gives us something to work with, as this can be broken down into a simple goal of social acceptance.
Knowing the true origins of your goals helps you to decide the relevancy of your action plan, meaning in this case does getting in better shape produce the desired outcome? Possibly, but not necessarily – however they are knowing this can allow them to better prioritize their decision.
Social acceptance is a much better motivator, as it is something we all want, and if the client feels that getting in shape is what will help them accomplish this then they will be much more likely to make the time for it, versus just trying to get in shape because that’s what you are supposed to do.
Everyone makes time for the things they find important, it’s our job as trainers to help them work through this process to make fitness a priority, not the other way around.
– Victor Adam, a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Axiom Health and Fitness
2. “I tweaked something, so I’m letting it heal.”
Injuries happen, I get that as I’ve been hurt a few times in my gym career. And yes, you may need to take some time off according to the doctor’s orders. However, taking too much time off can hurt as much as it can heal because movement is medicine for the body.
A little healing blood flow can work wonders for you and your body. If that person in the wheelchair can get after it in the gym, you can too. Excuse busted.
– Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is Personal Trainer at Just Fitness, Mesquite, Texas.
3. “I don’t have access to a gym.”
Get a few pieces of workout equipment that will last a lifetime for your home, or just ditch the equipment and use your own body instead.
You can get in incredible shape using your own body weight with exercises like push-ups, handstands, pistols and bodyweight squats, and plyometric exercises.
– Krista Stryker, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer and founder of the 12 Minute Athlete
4. “I’m a parent.”
If you have kids, you need to make sure your workouts are even more of a priority. Not only do you need to take care of yourself by having a few minutes to yourself every day, but you also owe it to them to keep yourself healthy into old age.
Plus, don’t you want to set a good example for your kids so they can grow up knowing the importance of staying active?
– Krista Stryker, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer and founder of the 12 Minute Athlete
5. “I don’t know what to do!”
This is one of the exercise excuses we hear all the time. Sure, you may not be a bonafide fitness expert or even know what a deltoid is, but it’s about learning! The fact is, that we live in a highly interconnected world where you can find millions of workouts, exercises, and videos online that can help you get started!
Or you can simply get started walking – it can improve anyone’s exercise capacity.
Hell, just grab a fitness book at the local bookstore, or hit us up and get started!
– Josh Anderson, MS, Personal Trainer and Founder of DIY Active
6. “I travel a lot.”
Whether all you have is a tiny hotel room or a nearby park, you can still work out while traveling using minimal equipment like a jump rope or your own body weight. No excuses!
– Krista Stryker, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer and founder of the 12 Minute Athlete
7. “I lost track of time!” or “ My alarm didn’t go off!”
Oh, this is one of my personal favorites for blowing off a personal training session. It’s right up there with “The dog ate my homework.” This is usually a case of they forgot to set their alarm entirely.
However, I like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Checking your alarm the night before or making your partner remind you to set it can take care of this problem if you’re a morning exercise person.
– Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is Personal Trainer at Just Fitness, Mesquite, Texas.
Wrap-Up
We’ve all been there and made similar excuses, but now is the time to understand that they don’t stack up!
Stop making these excuses, get out there, get active, and start living the life you deserve!
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