Don’t Be a Victim of a Sedentary Lifestyle
People have all sorts of excuses not to exercise. Reasons that range from “I work all day” to “I’m too tired” are commonly used to justify not moving. However, your body and your longevity need you to exercise, and that’s not to mention the benefits of stress management on your mental and emotional health.
A sedentary lifestyle is the new epidemic threatening wellness. Fitness guidelines advise Includes 150 minutes of aerobic exercise on a weekly basis, along with at least two sessions of strengthening. That can be broken down into smaller 10-minute segments of activity to make it even easier to achieve, but how many people can accomplish this?
Listed below are five commonly heard excuses not to exercise. Do any sound familiar? Don’t let yourself be a victim of weak reasons. Challenge yourself to avoid living a sedentary lifestyle.
1. “I have no time.”
Lack of time is probably one of the most common excuses for not exercising. Whether you’re working 12 or more hours each day, parenting, or getting pulled in too many directions by those around you, you owe it to yourself to make time to exercise.
So what is the trick to fitting exercise into your day? Break exercise time up into small amounts. Free online workout videos are a beautiful thing. Cue up a short 10-minute video, or even a five-minute one, to get started. Squeeze a video or download an exercise app to do in the morning, during your afternoon lunch break, after dinner, or before bed.
Although many jobs may leave people feeling like they are “walking all day,” it’s not quite the same as a fitness routine that targets cardio and strengthening exercises.
2. “I’m too tired.”
Fatigue can be a revolving cycle: feeling tired leads to not wanting to exercise; not exercising leads to more exhaustion, and so the cycle continues. Stopping the cycle is imperative. That can be difficult at first when it seems like a nap should trump exercise. However, it will not take long to experience the rejuvenating benefits of endorphins and increased blood supply throughout the body.
If you find you need support to get started, consider: writing out an exercise contract for yourself, making a plan with a friend to exercise together so you will be less likely to cancel, asking your doctor for an exercise prescription to make the arrangement formal. Whatever it takes, get started.
3. “I have chronic pain.”
While pain is real and can be a valid reason to be cautious with how you exercise, in the majority of cases appropriate exercises have a considerable benefit. For example, if osteoarthritis is causing what feels to be debilitating knee pain, by exercising to strengthen the surrounding muscles pressure will be relieved off of the knees.
Additionally, weight loss through exercise can make a massive difference to knee pain when the knees are no longer required to bear the extra weight.
Regardless of what the underlying medical condition is, always speak to a health care provider before getting started for medical clearance.
4. “I can’t afford to exercise equipment.”
The exercise equipment industry may target those looking to get fit and lose weight, especially with late-night infomercials. However, such equipment is in no way a requirement. Your body weight can provide just the right amount of resistance needed to tone and strengthen your frame. From push-ups and plank holds to burpees and lunges, your own body can get the job done.
5. “I hate the gym.”
If you hate the gym, you are not alone. Being within concrete walls, possibly with few or no windows or view, is not a particularly motivating environment in which to start exercising. In contrast, consider working out in the comforts of home or (even better) with what nature has to offer.
For example, biking, jogging, walking, hiking, snowshoeing, swimming, and even outdoor yoga or fitness boot camps can provide you with both fitness and fresh air. It’s as though you get a double whammy of re-energizing when you combine fitness with fresh air.
6. ”I am not seeing results”
I get it you have been going at it real hard and you are not looking like those fit chics on Instagram. Now you are ready to give up. If you give up now you will never know if see your dreams into fruition. You have to be in it to win it. There is no fast and easy way to weight loss and and being fit. Plan to give it time in the form of months. The fast and furious method is not sustainable. You will get burn out quickly.
7. ”I don’t live near the gym”
This one is quite easy to fix. There are so many workout options that do not require a gym membership. You can workout at home. Start by doing body weight exercises. Youtube has plenty of videos that shows how workout your different muscles and cardio. It is possible to exercise without equipment .
8.”I am self conscious”
Have you ever taken a step aerobics class? If you have a hard time keeping up then you will feel self conscious in one of these classes. It takes a lot of practice to get it right. Everyone started messing up the moves. But you can also do the classes in the comfort of your own home and go at your own pace. Look for fitness classes on youtube or a app.
Whatever your reason is for not exercising, it may be time to stand back and consider strategies to make exercise a regular part of your day. Given the health benefits you’ll enjoy, ranging from prevention of heart disease and diabetes to the overall feeling of emotional well-being, you owe it to yourself to find a way, a time, and a plan, to start exercising now and avoid living a sedentary lifestyle.