Motivation can often wane, but as we all know, perseverance will pay off. Here’s how to combat those little excuses than try to hinder your fitness regime…
Parents know that dedication to exercise can quickly disappear once children arrive. Before you know it, that innocent beer belly has transformed into a huge gut and you get out of breath walking up the stairs. Now that Christmas is out of the way, it’s time to take control of your fitness – for you and for your kids. Are you going to let not having a clean gym kit, or an absence of pre-gym snacks derail your progress? Surely not! We discuss the five top excuses for avoiding exercise and, more importantly, how to beat them!
5 excuses for not going to the gym (and how to beat them!)
“I’m not fit enough”
How do you think people get fit in the first place? By exercising, Einstein! We know that you might be a little bit rusty, but that’s certainly no excuse to give up exercising all together. Instead of worrying about not being able to keep up with your old pace, or anyone else’s, take it slow in the gym and concentrate on doing your best. Concentrate on building up your cardiovascular health before you get into lifting heavy weights, for example begin by jogging at an average pace for 20 minutes around two to three times a week, then gradually add more sessions or increase the length of time.
“I don’t want to go on my own”
We’re not going to lie, having a gym buddy is pretty fun, but so is going solo! Although the thought of hitting the gym alone may fill you with dread, once you’ve had your first taste you’ll realise that it really isn’t intimidating at all. If you’ve never entered a gym before you’ll be best booking an induction so that a member of staff at the gym can show you the ropes, this not only helps to build your confidence but it also ensures that you are using the gym equipment safely.
“I’ve lost my headphones”
When tragedy does strike and your headphones have gone AWOL, don’t be tempted to turn around and head home. If you really can’t face doing cardio without music, stick to lifting weights or doing bodyweight resistance moves. Alternatively join a class where the music is always pumping!
“I’m too tired”
You may be tired on your way to the gym, but you’ll feel much more energetic once you leave. Exercise actually provides us with energy and causes our brain to produce mood boosting hormones so after a good session you will feel invigorated, happy and full of life.
“I don’t have time”
Ok, we understand that parents don’t have very much, if any, free time, but we promise that you don’t need to do hours of exercise to reap the benefits. Do you have a spare half an hour? Some of the most effective forms of exercise can be done in under 30 minutes so there is really no excuse. Take high intensity interval training (or HIIT) for example, this training method alternates between intervals of exercising at your maximum heart rate, with rest periods to achieve an effective workout that forces your body to work harder to recover.
Additionally, you could commit to an exercise class that utilises cardio training movements with body weight resistance moves for a killer workout. Try classes such as Body Pump, GT30 which is exclusive to DW Fitness Clubs and Body Combat.
