Fitness Friday: Get rid of common excuses

Author: WINK NEWS
Published: Updated:

FORT MYERS, Fla. – We all begin a new fitness routine with the best of intentions.

Sometimes we combine a busy work week with a list of other chores and our exercise plans get pushed to the bottom of the list. WINK News fitness expert Mich Drumm  has a list of common excuses people use and why you should give them up now.

Exercise Excuse – No Time

There are many little time stealers in your day, from surfing the Internet to watching reruns to accepting calls from people you don’t really want to talk to. Getting rid of these distractions can add hours of free time each day—time that can be spent improving your health.

Eliminate 30 minutes of television viewing each night and exercise for half an hour instead. Unlike couch time, exercise will strengthen muscles and burn fat. Record your favorite shows and watch them while lifting weights or running on the treadmill to multitask. Get up an hour earlier in the morning or bring along your sneakers and go for a walk during your lunch break.

Exercise Excuse – It’s too Expensive

Getting in shape certainly is expensive… if you keep wasting hundreds of dollars, month after month on worthless “miracle” weight loss pills and “magic” potions that all claim to make you slim. Deceptive advertising and slick marketing for bogus diet aids is more rampant than ever. Walking, jogging, and body weight exercises are FREE.  If you want to know what’s really expensive, tally up the cost of legitimate expenses like natural food, gym memberships, fitness education, dumbbells and so on, and compare that to your doctor’s bill when you’re sick.

Exercise Excuse – No support

Experts say your income will be approximately equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. Not only do I think that’s accurate, I also believe that your health is your greatest wealth, and your physical condition will be about equal to the average of your 5 closest friends.

It’s a real challenge to stay positive, focused and active when you’re surrounded by critical people and negative influences. However, lack of support is no longer a valid excuse. Online social networking and more IN PERSON friendships and associations are being made from an internet connection than ever before.  Training buddies can be found online. Support forums have been around for years. Use them. No support from your current friends? Stop whining, start reaching out and go make new ones.

Exercise Excuse – Bad genetics

In the past few years, numerous genes linked to obesity have been discovered. However, the obesity epidemic we’re facing today has only developed over the past 50 years and genetic mutations that lead to serious obesity are extremely rare.  Genetic predisposition only means that you have a tendency. It’s when the genetics meet lifestyle and environment that the genes express themselves.

If you have a family history of heart disease, is it smart to smoke, eat junk, be a stressed-out, type-A maniac and a couch potato? Well of course not, and it’s the same with obesity. If you have a tendency predisposing you towards obesity, you’d better be the person doing the MOST exercise, not the least. You’d better be the person paying the MOST attention to your nutrition.  You’d better be the person with the healthiest lifestyle. Unfortunately, it’s usually the opposite. Most people throw up their arms in frustration saying, “what’s the use, I was dealt a bad hand.”

Exercise Excuse – Don’t know How

The lamest excuse of them is “I don’t know how.” Most of us feel awkward when we do something that is new or unfamiliar. That is normal. Let yourself be with the feelings of discomfort, knowing that they are temporary and for a good cause. Even if you have two left feet, you get all the moves wrong, the equipment baffles you and everyone seems more fit than you, you can still give yourself a big pat on the back. You are at the gym and not on the couch. You don’t have to show up perfectly, you just have to show up. Give yourself credit for that and accept where you are on your fitness journey.

Conclusion

It’s easy to make excuses about why you’re not reaching your fitness goals, but until you take responsibility for your actions (or lack thereof) you will remain in front of the television for one more evening, all the while moaning about how you can’t fit into your favorite clothes any longer.

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