Small spaces. Limited time.
Get Dressed, Show Up and Make the Effort: Resolutions for Common Workout Excuses
Finding time, space and equipment for a proper workout takes effort. And some might say that at times, this is harder to accomplish than the workout itself. But the truth is, what you really need is to get dressed, show up and make an effort. Ideas for how to squeeze a good workout in can be found online in spades, with ease. And yet, excuses to break resolutions are still one of the biggest obstacles people face in meeting their weight management goals. In order to gain back control, it’s important to first acknowledge the problem and address the challenges—here are 3 reasons people find to not exercise and what can be done to overcome them.
1. Minimal time to commit:
Get your 10,000 steps in by building exercise into something else that must get done may be the simplest way to buy back some time in your day. For example, each time you get up from your desk, take an extra lap around the floor to get extra steps in. Each time you’re heading down the stairs, make an extra trip back up, and then down again, before going where you’re going.
Next time you’re taking the kids to practice, make better use of your time than simply sitting on the bleachers, in your car or stepping out to run an errand. Instead, watch from a distance as you walk the track around that field or stand at the edges of the gym and go for a brisk walk through the halls during delays, timeouts and at halftime.
Find access to some short-burst workouts that can help fire up your metabolism, like high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT workouts can be completed in as little as 10-30 minutes with alternating short-burst timed periods of intense exercise with less intense recovery periods.
2. Limited access to equipment:
There are a lot of reasons people are hesitant to get to a gym. Gym memberships can be expensive. Attendance may be intimidating. Distance may be out of reach or in an inconvenient location. But all you really need is your own body and some simple internet searches to find yourself, “an easy workout without equipment.”
Head to the park with your kicks on and plan to spend time doing traditional calisthenics like walking, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, tricep dips and climbing stairs (or step-ups if no stairs are available).
For less than $10 you can pick up a yoga/exercise mat that you can use for yoga, Pilates, stretching, a HIIT workout, meditation and so much more. Many even come with a bag and strap, which makes them easy to hang in a closet or on a coat rack, and makes them portable enough to take to the park.
3. Space is hard to come by:
Type in specific key words into any basic search engine, and you’ll find a mountain of options for workouts that require nothing but your own body weight and a space the size of a yoga mat. Try these phrases and see what comes up: “free workouts for small spaces,” or “exercises that can be done with just a yoga mat.”
All you really need is space enough to lay down that exercise mat, but other parts of your home, neighborhood or work setting can also be helpful. Think: stairs, living room rug, long hallways, sidewalks and nearby parks for long walks, stair climbing and home-based exercise options.
This might feel like something from the 80s, but a good old-fashioned chin-up bar doesn’t cost much and provides another one of those traditional, tried-and-true exercises that can really help get your body toned. Many even come with supportive straps or rubber bands to help newcomers build up their strength slowly.
Whatever your reasons for skipping regular exercise, get up, get dressed, show up for a workout (even if this means you’re still in your home) and decide you’ll make an effort. You will already be on your way to that proud moment where you acknowledge that you took time for yourself and your own personal health. And you will thank yourself for that.