Stop Making Excuses, Start Working Out
There are some legitimate reasons for skipping a workout, like nursing an injury, but most of the time excuses are just a way to talk yourself out of exercising. The excuses we come up with, no matter how lame, are a way to make us more comfortable with skipping the workout. When your psyche is throwing excuses at you, follow this guide to overcome the most common gym deterrents.
The Excuse: I am too tired.
This is the top reason people blow off using their workout grips. You feel tired after a long day at work, or you just can’t seem to roll out of bed early enough to hit the gym.
If getting out from underneath the covers is your problem, make sure you are getting plenty of rest at night, or download the Sleep Cycle alarm clock app. When you set the alarm for a 30-minute window, it wakes you up in the lightest stage of sleep. When the sound blares and you open your eyes, you will feel most rested and ready to workout.
If you prefer to exercise with your weightlifting gloves at the end of the day, make a killer playlist or recruit a workout buddy to help motivate you.
The Excuse: I don’t have enough time.
Let’s assume you are super busy and work 50 hours a week. If you get eight hours of sleep a night, you still have 62 hours leftover each week for other things. To improve your health, you should get a minimum of 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. When you break down the numbers this way, it doesn’t sound so impossible to find time to workout, does it?
Find time by making it. Schedule your workouts like you would a business meeting or doctor’s appointment. If you are short on longer chunks of time, break your exercise into smaller pieces, like taking a brisk walk on your lunch hour or biking to the store instead of driving.
The Excuse: Exercise is boring.
Sure, running on a treadmill for an hour may be boring, but it is a lot more fun when you watch television or read while you are breaking a sweat. And few people would call inline skating, hiking or surfing boring, yet they are all forms of exercise.
Mix up your workouts and keep them interesting by trying something new. Take a class, join a sports league or take up rollerblading. There is an exercise for everyone.
What excuses do you think of to not use your weightlifting gloves? Fess up in the comments below, then let us know how you overcome them!
