5 Excuses Everyone Uses to not Exercise and how to Overcome Them

Excuses, excuses, everybody has them, and that’s what keeps us away from our goals, and exercise may as well be the poster child of this phenomenon. It is so easy to make up an excuse to put off exercise for the day, week, month and year and that is why New Year’s resolutions to “get into shape”, “lose pounds” and “exercise more,” are so popular. We love to postpone things until sometime in the future.

Here is a list of 5 excuses everyone uses to not exercise and how to overcome them. Read them and see if you have used any of these excuses in your own life.

1. I Don’t Have Time

This is one of the toughest and most common barriers to exercise. We have jobs, children, families, pets and other responsibilities that seemingly get in the way when it comes to exercise. This is why I’m a firm believer in writing down your goals and remembering your WHY! Why is exercise important to you? Having a strong enough why will keep you focused with renewed energy and determination to succeed.

Most people feel that if they can’t get in 30, 45 or 60 minutes of exercise it’s not even worth it, but that is not the case. A little bit of exercise is better than no exercise at all. There is always time to exercise. There are also those who say they don’t have time to exercise, but they will spend hours on social media, watching Netflix, texting a friend or on the phone. You have to make exercise a habit just like taking a shower and brushing your teeth. You must also make exercise a priority in your life.

2. I’ll Start Tomorrow or Next Week

How many of us are guilty of saying I will do (“fill in the blank) tomorrow, and tomorrow never comes? It’s the same with exercise, even though we know how good we feel after exercising; we have so much energy, and we feel very productive. This is another reason why New Year’s resolutions are so popular, there is nothing like saying I will start in the New Year. It’s not surprising to me that only 8% of the people who make New Year’s resolutions actually keep them. How many New Years’ have come and gone and we still haven’t started that exercise program? This is another reason to remember your why!

3. I Don’t Have a Gym Membership

This excuse is no longer valid if it was ever valid. You don’t need a big box gym or fancy studio to start moving your body. You can work out literally anywhere you are — no equipment, no machine, and no membership fees. As a matter of fact, since the pandemic, more people are choosing to work out at home, saving them time and money. There are also online fitness programs such as our Six Weeks to Family Fitness programs, that are becoming very popular and effective.

4. I’m too tired to Exercise

I get it! We are living very busy, stressful lives and so it is understandable to be tired sometimes, but not all the time. Most of us are tired only when we think about exercise, not realizing that exercise will boost our energy levels, therefore making us more productive. If you find yourself tired all the time, try improving your diet. You will be surprised how quickly your mood and attitude can change after having a healthy dose of fruits and vegetables. Go out for a brief walk. If this doesn’t work, I would recommend that you see your doctor, it could be a sign of something more serious going on in your body.

5. I’m Not a Morning Person

I understand not everyone is a morning person like me. When I was in the military, we had a popular slogan, that stated “we do more by 9 a.m. than most people do all day.” That was because we started our day at 5 a.m. and it started with exercise in the morning. One of the reasons why I advocate working out in the morning is because no matter what comes up later in the day, family commitments, meetings, social gatherings, etc., the workout is behind you. If you schedule your workouts for the afternoon and evenings and you are called away for impromptu meetings, you may not be able to fit the exercise into your busy schedule.

Does it matter what time of day you get the workout in? Not really. The key is to just get it in and do what the Nike slogan says “Just Do It!”

There you have it, 5 excuses everyone uses to not exercise and how to overcome them. Are there more excuses than 5? You bet! These are 5 out of the 25 you can probably think of, but they have similar solutions.

If you’re looking to break free of those excuses and get into shape before the New Year, join us for our next Six Weeks to Family Fitness program starting on November 1st. you can register here.  You can also email me at vince@sixweeks.com.