Hello everyone, I hope you are all sticking with your fitness goals at this point in the year! It can be challenging to keep up with your workouts, and to learn to prioritize your fitness goals. Although your fitness regime doesn’t need to be your top priority, your health should be towards the top. And our priorities are not what we say are important to us, they are the things we are actually spending our time on. We are out of the season of New Years Resolutions, yet it has still been cold outside, and many of us have slid back into inactivity. In today’s post, we will examine some of the most common reasons people have for not exercising, as well as solutions to help keep you on track!
Problem: Not enough time
Solution: Make exercise a priority. The only person who can change your circumstances is you. If you currently have a sporadic (or nonexistent) exercise regime, start with just a few sessions per week, and work up from there. Figure out how many sessions you want to train, how much time you have, and make it a priority to work out during these times. Put your sessions in your calendar, and tell someone who can help you stay accountable.
I’m sure some of you are thinking, “I am so stressed and busy, I don’t have time to workout”. I would encourage you to redefine what “enough time” is. If you are not working out at all, even just ten minutes twice a week could make a big difference. If you don’t even have a spare twenty minutes a week, see what you could cut out. Where can you find more time? Maybe you can cut back on your Netflix or social media time. It all comes down to what your priorities are. As the Minimalist’s say, “Your priorities are what you do each day, the small tasks that move forward the second and minute hands on the clock: these circadian endeavors are your musts. Everything else is simply a should.”
Problem: Lack of support
Solution: If the people you spend most of your time with don’t enjoy physical activity, it can be hard to get started yourself. However, there are things you can do to stay committed to your goals, despite what your support group does/doesn’t do.
Explain your goals to these important people in your life and explain the benefits of doing these things. Chances are they will be happy or proud of you, and if not, stay strong in your resolve, and commit to doing it anyway. You can invite them to participate with you, if they are worried about not getting to spend as much time with you. This could also help you stay committed if you have an accountability partner. Win-win!
Problem: Lack of motivation and energy
Solution: Pay attention to your habits and figure out what part of the day you tend to have the most energy. For example, I try to always schedule my own workouts in the morning, because that is when I have the most energy, and it keeps my energy high for the rest of the day. It is important to understand though, that this is just what works best for me personally. I know many people and have had many clients who need a very different schedule. Find what works best for you personally.
Another option is to find an accountability partner. This could be a friend that you come work out with, this could be a significant other, a personal trainer, or a group fitness class. The biggest reason I hear clients coming to me, is for accountability. They know that paying for sessions will help keep them motivated to get their money’s worth. Once again, find something that works for you. It also helps if you can find something enjoyable. If you look forward to your sessions or classes, you will be much more likely to show up.
Problem: lack of a space/equipment
Solution: Use your body! Body weight exercises cost you nothing, and you don’t need anything but yourself to complete a body weight workout. Exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, running, and planks require nothing but you. You can do HIIT workouts with no equipment if you want, which is a really effective way to just use your body weight. You can get creative and “make your own weights”. You could use a couple of full water bottles for front raises or lateral raises. Use what you already have.
Another option that may be free for you is going to a park. Assuming you don’t have to drive there, you could walk, bike, or run. Once you get there you can do lots of different exercises on the playground. Or if there is a fitness park, they have free equipment that you can use. There is a fitness park at Cico Park here in Manhattan.
Problem: Lack of money for space or equipment
Solution: If you don’t have any spare money to spend on fancy workout clothes, equipment, classes, or gyms, you don’t have to skip your workout! You can use Youtube at home to find just about any fitness class from yoga to HIIT workouts. You can do body weight exercises as I mentioned before, you can go for a run, or use the park. You don’t have to wear lululemon or gym shark to get an effective workout in. If you really don’t already have any clothes suitable for working out in, go to a thrift store and see what you can find. Exercise should be more about how you feel on the inside, rather than how you look on the outside. Expand your idea of fitness beyond the gym. You don’t have to spend a dime on your exercise routine if you don’t want to.
Problem: Injury/illness
Solution: You will have certain limitations to what you can do, depending on your illness or injury, but most likely you can still find a way to be physically active during your recovery time. Maybe your workouts are just walking at first, maybe you broke your wrist, so you focus more on lower body. Even if you have a disease, you can likely find an activity that will be manageable for your current fitness level. Be sure to find modifications to suit your needs.
I hope that these scenarios are applicable to you, and that you learned some ways to combat the common barriers to exercise. Don’t wait to start implementing some of these changes, make your health a priority, and change today.
