Some days, all you can do is think of excuses to skip a workout, even when you know all the reasons why you should workout. Try as you might, you can’t be perfect every day of your life! The next time you start to excuse yourself out of a workout, come back to this list of our top 10 excuses not to workout and get a dose of motivation to beat that excuse every single time.
“I don’t have enough time.”
Whenever you start to say this excuse, think about our queen, Beyonce. Some member of the Bey Hive once said, “You have the same 24 hours in a day as Beyonce.” That's because Beyonce knows how to work.
She launched a world tour and managed to break the internet with a visual album at the same time! Your ultimate goals may be slightly less extraordinary, but you can call on your inner Beyonce and find time to get it all done.
When you think you don’t have enough time to be active, break up your activity into smaller pieces. If you aim to workout for an hour on a day, do 30 minutes before work and 30 right after work. It should be easier to carve out smaller periods of time to be active, and no matter how you slice it, it’s still an hour of working out.
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“I just don’t feel like it.”
You can have the best intentions, but there will still be plenty of moments when you just don’t feel like working out, or doing anything, for that matter. To this excuse, we have the perfect response: count to three out loud and immediately get started.
How will this work? Well, it takes away any time for you to think of more excuses. It forces you to get out of your head and instead get into your workout. If you’re in bed, thinking you don’t feel like getting up, count to 3 and throw yourself out of bed. Don’t even give it a second thought. Same goes if you find yourself stuck in front of the TV.
Count to three, turn off the TV and hop into your workout. Once you start, it will be much more difficult to focus on your excuses.
“I don’t like to work out.”
While you are fully aware of all the reasons you should be active and stay consistent with your fitness regimen, you might still be a person who just doesn’t like to work out. The more you tell yourselfthis, the harder it will be to overcome this excuse.
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This is especially the case when you are starting out with a new fitness program. The most important step in succeeding is to just get moving. When you hear yourself making this excuse, get up and get moving for just 5 minutes. There’s pretty much nothing you can’t do for 5 minutes, no matter how much you dislike it.
Typically, once you get started within 5 minutes, you’ll want to do even more. So don’t worry about getting through your entire workout at first. Instead, just focus on the first 5 minutes and see how you feel from there.
“Why do I even bother?”
If you’re just starting with a training program, or you’re well into several months your fitness regimen, you may hear a small voice that tries to stop you from sticking to the plan.
This is particularly true if you when you don’t see huge changes in your body, or notice weight loss as quickly as you hoped. When your mind heads down this path, recall your original reasons for getting started. Compare where you were on Day 1 with where you are now, and celebrate your gains and accomplishments.
Then, get up and move.
“I’m bored.”
Being consistent with any fitness regimen anddoing the same workouts from week to week won’t always be the most exciting part of your day. If it is, then don’t change a thing!
Otherwise, make your workouts more fun by adding in something new. Try boxing, a dance class, or something less formal for your next workout. All you really need is any reason to stay active, and that doesn’t always have to include weights and a treadmill. Try something that excites you, makes you sweat, and keeps you coming back for more.
“I miss hanging with my friends.”
You might have to make some sacrifices when you get committed to your health and fitness goals. Since going out to your favorite restaurants or staying out late drinking doesn’t quite work with your goals, you may have to say no more often than not.
The solution? Plan an active meet up or ask your friends to join you for a class or workout. Dance classes, hikes, and group runs are perfect for getting in some hang time and making memories, all while still getting a great sweat on. Now you can stick to your goals without clipping your social butterfly wings.
"I don’t feel motivated.”
Some days you just don’t feel like moving, for no other reason thana lack of motivation. The trick here is to find sources of motivation in any way that works. Buying new workout clothes, for instance, can give you something to look forward to the next time you hit the gym.
Another way to get motivated is to join a fitness challenge, whether it’s a challenge to workout 5 days a week, or run 3 miles a day. Whatever works for you, do it.
“No one will know if I miss a workout.”
It can get difficult to hold yourself accountable to sticking to a fitness routine, especially if you don’t have anyone else rooting for you. To fix this, get some others invested in your success. Tell a group of friends about your goals and even ask them to check in on your status every so often.
You should be more motivated to stick to your goals when someone else is looking out for your success. This works best with friends who are chasing the same things as you. You can check in with one another and offer some extra motivation when the other’s starts to falter.
“I don’t know where to start.”
Saying that you want to be healthier is a much different thing than actually starting. When you have no clue where to start with a fitness routine, you can psych yourself out from getting started in the first place. Pick one class, trainer, or even anexercise video and just go. The time you spend weighing your options could be used to start getting in shape. Write down 5 options, close your eyes and pick one. Start there and don’t look back.
“I can’t work out right now.”
For whatever reason, whether it’s an injury, a hectic work schedule, or unexpected circumstances, you may not be able to workout all the time. Even when you truly cannot workout, you can still find a way to sneak in some small activity into your day. For instance, you can stand up while you take a conference call, park further away from your job and get in some extra steps.
You can do also do small exercises like standing leg lifts while you read your emails. Even if you burn only 25 calories at a time, those 25 calories can add up quickly. If you find 8 times to do something for just a few minutes, that can equal 200 or more calories and you’ll be that much closer to your goals.
Sharita Jennings is a fitness and travel enthusiast and creator of Get Fit Like That, LLC. She is a health policy attorney and ACE certified group fitness instructor and fitness nutrition specialist. She provides online fitness plans and leads group fitness classes in Washington DC. Check out her fitness tips and workouts at GetFitLikeThat.com.
