So, I may be many things but a pushover I am not! Many people have busy, busy lives... okay, so now that I'm a stay at home Mum I certainly have much more time than I used to but way back in the days, before I was a personal trainer I worked a regular office job, which involved commuting three hours per day and, more often than not, arriving home 14 hours after I had left for work. Don't hate me or think I'm some sort of exercise freak (okay, so I am a little...) but I would still manage to exercise 6 days per week. Saturday's I would play hockey for my club, Thursday nights were training nights. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings would see me out at 5.15 am with a head torch on and a run - 20-45 minutes, depending on whether it was sprints or just a steady state run. Sunday? A much needed lie in!
So - I'm afraid those excuses don't wash with me! Of course everyone has their days when exercise is just simply not going to happen - I'm no saint! However, if exercise is important to you you should fit it in. It's YOU time and that's oh so important these days. We know what it does - decrease stress, help you unwind, it's good for the heart & lungs not to mention the whole body, helps maintain or reduce body weight plus all those other things we hear about day in day out. Here's some tips for not giving in to the easy option!
Set your time
So, I'm a routine gal. I know some of us aren't but it's so important to schedule exercise. Most of us are so busy the day just disappears and suddenly it's bedtime. Write in your diary (that's so old school!) or your planner the times you are going to exercise; treat them like any other appointment and stick to them. You wouldn't just miss a doctor's appointment, would you? Don't do the same to exercise.
Rain or shine
Whether you exercise indoors or outdoors, when it's cold and dark it's harder to get out. When I used to go running in the dark, I would just get dressed and go without looking out of the window; when I opened the front door and it was raining, windy and dark, there was no point going back to bed because I was up and dressed. You'll feel so much better for going out.
Get a buddy!
If you workout with a friend you're SO much more likely to make the gym. You'll feel bad letting them down and (hopefully) vice versa which means when you both actually find yourself there you'll exercise. Plus it's a great way to catch up with our pal and by the time you've chatted for an hour the workout has finished!
Be organised
Keep your gym kit in the car, make sure you've eaten - all these little things make such a difference. If you're going to the gym on the way home from work, you've got your kit, you're not starving hungry; there's no excuse except you making those excuses!
MAKE the time
That old one... "I don't have the time". It's almost the same as "the dog ate my homework, sir". Do you sit and watch telly in the evenings? Or sit and surf the net? Of course. Everyone does - it's their relaxation time. Just half an hour of exercise will make that relaxation time so much more worthwhile. Whatever you do in the day that wastes time, use it to exercise.
You don't need equipment
Many people are under the mistaken belief that you need membership to a fancy-nancy gym - what a load of tosh. An exercise DVD (costing less than £10); an exercise band (£3), stability ball (£8), trainers (they don't have to be the best make). Use bottles of water for weights. Sky TV even have some exercise channels dedicated to fitness which run "classes" 24-7, you can do them in the comfort of your own home.
Remember... the bottom line is we all KNOW how good we feel after exercise. About 2 minutes into a workout, the majority of the time you are so glad you made the effort. Remember how those endorphins feel after you've worked out? That's what you need to remember when you're spinning out the excuses next time!
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