Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. I repeat…exercise doesn’t have to be complicated.
I start off by giving away the key point to this entire post because it’s that important and I want it to really sink in right away.
How many excuses have you heard or used in order to avoid exercising? Here are a few of the most common ones I am familiar with:
- I’m too tired
- I just don’t have time
- I’m not feeling well today
- I don’t want to get sweaty because then I will have to wash my hair (that may or may not be my main excuse)
So let’s go ahead and debunk each one so you can get moving today.
I get you. With a 14-month old at home, sleep is a word I’m not familiar with lately. The thought of doing any type of physical activity is exhausting in itself and to think about what I am going to do to exercise today just isn’t happening. That’s where not thinking comes in. What is second nature to you? For example, I love dancing, it’s in my blood. So, on those exhausting days (every day) I put on some music and dance.
Yes, I get that too. With a 14-month old at home…(you get the point). This is where you can really get creative. Exercise doesn’t have to take up your time. Exercise is your time. It should be part of your routine just like brushing your teeth. However, if you don’t brush your teeth (please start!) some ways to get moving when you’re short on time include:
- Stairs instead of the elevator
- Squats during commercial breaks of your favorite show
- Slow treadmill while working
- Walking meeting with a colleague
I recently had a client tell me she had a light bulb moment when she realized that she could hand-deliver the mail to her colleagues instead of placing it in their mailbox. This way she gets in extra steps while getting her work done. I love that!
If you legit aren’t feeling well, like you have the flu, then, by all means, please don’t exercise.
However, if you are just not feeling your best, low-intensity exercise might actually help. The J of Dallas certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, Barbara Edes, notes that “30 minutes a day of exercise may help boost your immune system. Just don’t push yourself beyond your normal limits when you are feeling under the weather.”
So, it’s here that I reiterate…don’t complicate things. Find a lower-intensity class on your group fitness schedule, take the treadmill incline down a little, or go for a swim.
Your not-best-self will thank you.
Now you’re just being ridiculous. Go exercise 
.
I hope you now have the tips to start talking back to those excuses, get creative and just move it!