It’s a known fact that humans are experts at inventing excuses to avoid something they don’t want to do. If your excuses are preventing you from attaining the body you want, try some of these strategies.
Excuse: I don’t feel like exercising
It may seem macho to continually push through your emotions and feelings and exercise regardless of them. There are times when this attitude is called for, but there are times when you should chill out and not worry about it.
Instead, do some relaxing stretching. Just pick whatever comes to mind that you want to stretch and focus on your breathing. Take each breath into the stomach, then the lungs, and finally the neck. Get full breaths as you stretch different parts of your body.
You can’t stretch all the time and expect to shed weight or increase muscle size. Don’t employ this strategy all the time.
Excuse: You have family in town over the holidays and don’t have time
Do some exercises in the few free moments that you have. It doesn’t take long to do some push ups. This can be the time you do a few really slow reps and discover exactly which muscles you are working out.
This is a great time to experiment with some different exercises. Since family is breaking your routine, you might as well break your exercise routine as well. Are you always doing regular push ups? Try some different varieties. Always doing the same stomach exercises? Try some different ones.
You can make exercise fun by learning different moves. It also makes your body more coordinated.
Excuse: You’re injured
Oops. Injury is a good time for reflection. If you’re really laid up, do some reading and reflection and forget about the exercise. Allow your body to recover. While you’re recovering, you should see a physical therapist. They can give you exercises to make you better than you were before.
If you still want to exercise, find exercises that don’t aggravate the part of your body that is injured. Most people spend too much time on their upper bodies. Hopefully, you’ve injured your upper body and can spend some time developing your legs!
Excuse: You’re lazy
Some people don’t like the regimented approach to exercise. If that’s you, find an activity you do enjoy and do that. Even if it’s just walking. Hopefully it’s a sport though—something that gets you moving a bit.
If you’re truly lazy and never intend to exercise, start eating less. You don’t need much food if all you do is move from sitting in one place to another.
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