Come March, New Year’s resolutions will have started to die back and the excuses will have started kicking in, yes I can see you smiling!
As gym owners/workers, we hear all the excuses that you could possibly imagine but mainly we can group them into 5 categories. Here’s what they are and how we can prove to you that these aren’t good enough.
I’m too busy.
This is the most common excuse we hear and one that I’ve even used myself on occasion.
• “I’m too busy to train”
• “I’m too busy to prep my food”
• “I’m too busy to get my steps in”
Whilst we sympathise with people that are time poor and understand how demanding a full schedule can be, you’re not the first person to be busy and this SHOULD NOT come as a sacrifice of your health, wellbeing, your social life and even your family.
“Does it even matter – I’m fine – I just need to get the jobs done”. By not caring for yourself, you are ultimately letting everyone else down. Ever heard the term “burning the candle at both ends?” – you get the gist
Allowing yourself to be tired, overweight and highly stressed is detrimental not only to yourself but also to the people closest to you.
Our quick fixes to this excuse are as follows:
• Can’t make it to the gym? Go for a walk, do a home workout after the children have gone to bed, quit the Facebook scrolling at lunchtime and go for a quick walk or run in your lunch break. We can all find 30-40 min during our day if we want to and the results will leave you feeling healthier.
• Haven’t got time to meal prep? We understand, food prep will save you time (and money) during the week but the upfront time expenditure can be large. However, making healthy food choices take the same amount of time as the unhealthy ones. If you are a member with us, you have full access to our food chain guides which will help you know what to choose. This will take some time to learn but after a while, it will become a habit. Healthy, well balanced meals will keep you feeling full for longer and help you avoid the 2pm sugar crash.
• Search for simple ways to free up some precious moments during your day and make time for you time. It seems like a mad idea now but the difference it will make to how to feel and how you approach stressful situations will surprise you. Find 20 minutes (away from your screen) to breathe, read, walk, jog, jump up and down, whatever it might be. You may even find that you are more productive and this in turn creates more time for you to exercise, not only creating physical time but also mental space.
Remember, the candle can only burn for so long!
I’m too old
We love this one, we don’t buy it and the vast research shows that this is utter nonsense, so please save yourself some time!
For each decade we age past 30, we atrophy around 10%! That means you lose 10% of your muscle mass every 10 years. You get weaker, have less energy, become frail, and ultimately become dependent on others. Doesn’t sound very appealing, does it?
If you are 50+ and you are not doing any strength training you are missing out on so much. Continue to miss out and this will get progressively worse, that’s a fact.
Not only will you lose muscle, you will lose energy, vitality and brain function. If we could put the benefits of exercise into a pill you would be taking it until the day you die.
Here at Better Body Group, have been training people in their 80’s and 90’s for years. These aren’t people who have been training their whole lives, these are people who came to us with the excuse of “I’m too old” and we convinced them otherwise and now are reaping the benefits of a fit and healthy lifestyle, not only physically but mentally.
Our quick fixes to this excuse are as follows:
• Seek advice on where and how to start.
• Join a class or group with common interests and work together.
• Find a training partner or buddy, this will make the first go a little less intimidating.
I’m too fat/unfit
Everyone has got to start somewhere – this is a fact.
This is a tricky one because very rarely are people just fat. More often than not, there is a reason people have got into that situation, often conditions such as depression and anxiety are present, so we understand how stressful it can be to even pluck up the courage to call us. Gyms can be a very intimidating place but it’s about finding a place that suits you, seeking the correct advice and starting slowly.
Our quick fix (yes just one) to this excuse is as follows:
• Seek professional advice on how and where to start. Cutting out carbs and walking all day is not going to get you long term results and may end up making you feel worse than when you started. Talk to someone about your goals and set yourself milestones. It could take a few months, it could take years, it doesn’t matter, even the people who look in their best shape are trying to reach that next milestone and are fighting their own battles, so don’t let appearances fool you.
I can’t afford it.
We love this one. I can’t remember the last time I paid to go for a run or a walk around the local park, can you? We understand that personal training every day might not be an option for most but there is tons of material out there to help you along. From apps to workout videos, hybrid memberships and much more.
Our quick fixes to this excuse are as follows:
• Take a look at your monthly expenditure. If you made yourself a coffee in the morning instead of buying a Costa, would this pay for your gym membership? Or if you meal prepped your lunch, would this pay for a personal training session a week? We’d be surprised if the answer was no.
• If you really don’t have the money, it doesn’t matter. Start running and/or walking on a regular basis. The NHS have great programs such as Couch to 5K and lots of other free resources to get you started.
• If you have a little bit of money, invest in a gym membership with a hybrid option where you can seek advice for a program each month or join regular classes, they are a great way of meeting new people with the same goals and interests as you.
I don’t like exercise
I’d say most people don’t like the idea of exercise. We get it, who loves sweating, or aching the next day? What everyone does love is the way that you feel after a great workout, or after beating last week’s time or weight. Perhaps you haven’t found your groove yet but that’s okay because there is something for everyone. So spending an hour in the gym might not be your cup of tea but how about yoga, Pilates or a game of squash with friends?
Our quick fixes to this excuse are as follows:
• Find a training partner who will accompany you. That commitment to the other will spur you along and make you less likely to drop out at last minute. You never know, you might even enjoy it!
• If you are currently a gym-goer and are not enjoying it, try switching gyms. Possibly the current gym environment isn’t suited to your needs and goals.
• Set yourself some clear goals. Working towards the unknown will make you feel unmotivated, but choosing a goal and seeing the target in sight will make you more likely to work harder. You can even reward yourself when you get there.
• We know it’s tough to keep on the straight and narrow with so many commitments and responsibilities in life, but it’s important to not sacrifice your health for anything or anyone. Keep chipping away at your goals and I guarantee 2020 will see you feeling healthier, more energetic, more focused and most importantly happy.
