Fitness

Top 10 Fitness Resolution Excuse-Busters

Despite the numerous promises, resolutions and agreements you made with yourself, your fitness resolutions have died in the water. All of the buzzing excitement, enthusiasm and resolve that was there only a few weeks ago is now gone. In its place rests pure apathy and an unwillingness to get off the couch. What went wrong? And is there a chance you can still pick up steam and achieve your goals?

The crackle, hiss and pop of hyperactive fireworks sears the air. The sky is ablaze with a vibrant spectrum of beguiling colors and patterns. As you enjoy the scene, a feeling of complete determination and purpose settles over you. This is it, you decide. This is the year that you will stick to your fitness goals. You’ll lose that excess weight and literally work your butt off to get the body you’ve always wanted. You’ve made a promise, no a resolution, that you won’t give up this time. Watch out, Victoria’s Secret – you’re on your way to the top!

Flash-forward to a month later and the inspiration, motivation and drive that had you swearing off chocolate and carbs has completely vanished. You’re in baggy old sweatpants (the only pants that still fit), munching on slightly stale potato chips and watching mind-numbing reality-TV reruns. Your overarching mentality is ‘meh’.

Huh? What happened? How did your passion and drive vanish? And is there a way to rediscover it? To help you find the answer, here are the top ten excuses people tell themselves when they give up on their fitness resolutions (and their oh-so-simple solutions).

Excuse #1: “I don’t have time to work out.”

Girl looking at watch 9

Okay, so here’s the thing. You really wanted to work out every day. Truly, you did. You even thought about it every night before you went to sleep: “Tomorrow I’m going to get up early and go for a jog.” But then you accidentally snoozed your alarm one too many times and had to rush through a shower and a quick breakfast on the run to make it to work on time. Then, you had a lunch date with a girlfriend and a HUGE day at work, so by the time you got home, made dinner and flicked through Facebook … Well, there was just no time. Maybe tomorrow?

Solution: Finding time can feel hard when your day seems like it’s jam-packed. This is why it’s important to carve out time and actually schedule your fitness sessions into your diary. Find space by reducing your TV time, social media distractions and making use of wasted Internet browsing hours.

Excuse #2: “I hate gyms.”

Gyms. Ugh. Even just the word can result in dry retching. Crowded, smelly and testosterone-laden, they’re just not a place you want to spend your free time in. Why hang out in a gym when you can go shopping? Or check out that new restaurant that opened up? Besides, aren’t gyms meant to motivate you to work out? The only thing you feel when you go to the gym is disgust.

Solution: Fair call. Gyms aren’t for everyone. But guess what? Gyms aren’t the only place for you to get your fitness fix. You can take your dog for a jog, buy an exercise DVD, do yoga outdoors, run in the park, buy a skipping rope or join a morning boot camp session … The opportunities are endless. Stop hiding behind your gym-phobia and go experience the great outdoors (or the great indoors if you want to work out at home).

Excuse #3: “I don’t have the money for a personal trainer or work out gear.”

Gosh, who knew that being fit could cost so much money? You’d really like to stick to your fitness resolutions, but it’s not your fault you can’t. You simply can’t afford it. You’ve checked out expensive gym memberships and even more expensive personal trainers. Both are out of your price range. Then there are the clothes … you aren’t really expected to work out in your old, daggy sweatpants, right? But lululemon isn’t cheap!

Blonde Girl Doing Crunches

Solution: There are plenty of ways to work out at little to no cost. For instance, you have everything you need on you right now to do some strength training. Push-ups, sit-ups, lunges and squats are 100% fee free. You can pick up some dumbbells for relatively cheap at your local fitness store and for cardio, why not take your old, rusty bike out for a spin or jog around your local parklands? Oh, and your clothes? They’re cute. Not trying hard is the new cool.

Excuse #4: “I don’t know where to start.”

The day after you made your fitness resolution, you were front-of-line at the gym. You strolled in, dropped your stuff off in the locker and made your way out into the big, bad, booty-full gym. And then you stopped. Um … what were you meant to be doing again? There were just so many people. So many sweaty, pink-faced, already-exercising people. And machines. Good lord, the exercise machines exercise stretched from the change rooms until the end of the earth. Wow. You were a little unprepared for this. Maybe you’d do some research and pop back… later?

Solution: Don’t put fitness in the too-hard basket simply because you feel a bit overwhelmed when you start out. Do some research online and find a simple work out program that meets your needs. Ask fit family and friends for advice or tee-up an info session at your gym to get a schedule put in place. Start off slow and work your way up.

Excuse #5: “I don’t feel like working out.”

Tired Girl Resting on Sofa

The reality is that working out is hard. And the last time you tried it, well, you kind of felt sick. Or exerted, or something. You don’t know – it just wasn’t a pleasant feeling. Maybe you’re allergic to fitness? You heard there’s a disease out there where people can legitimately fear fitness. In fact, you’re sure that’s what you have.

Solution: Oh dear. You don’t have a fitnessphobia; you have lazy-itis. Yes, working out is hard. Get over it. Everyone else with a tight butt and rock-hard abs has. If you want something extraordinary you’re going to have to do something extra, like getting off your butt and working out.

Excuse #6: “I’m just not as motivated as other people.”

Your girlfriend, Cindy, works out all the time. She does lunges in between phone calls and paces during team meetings. Your other friend, Mindy, is exactly the same. In fact, they go jogging together, attend spin classes and are in the down dog position more often than they’re standing. They’re what you would call motivated. But you? Eh, the motivation gene must have skipped you by.

Solution: There is no such thing as motivation! Motivation is a myth. Motivation is simply pushing aside the little apathetic voice in your head that urges you to ‘do it tomorrow’. Motivation is persistence and hard work, both of which you’re capable of in abundance.

Excuse #7: “I like junk food too much.”

2 Girls eating Fast Food

They say that 90% of successful weight loss efforts originate in the kitchen. And well, you like your kitchen. A lot. It has Reese’s Pieces, Twinkies, cheese puffs, doughnuts and cupcakes. And they all taste so good. How can something that tastes so good be so bad? Well if you’re not giving up junk food then there’s no use working out. Right?

Solution: Did you know that it takes just two weeks of a healthy, junk-free diet for your taste buds to forget the taste of junk food? Two weeks. You can survive two weeks without junk food. And don’t give up your fitness just because you’re struggling with your diet. Regularly working out will encourage you to ditch the bad diet – after all, do you really want to waste a grueling 45-minute spin class on a Snickers bar?

Excuse #8: “I didn’t see any results!”

This fitness thing must be totally bogus. You worked out for two weeks straight and you didn’t lose a pound. Your butt stayed the same size and your six-pack remained hidden under a soft cushioning of fat. Pfft. Fitness is just a way to sell gym memberships.

Solution: Don’t lose faith! It takes two weeks for you to notice any changes in your fitness ability and six weeks for you to see any physical and visible changes. Remember, it took you more than two weeks to reach your current weight so it won’t be an overnight transformation.

Excuse #9: “I got bored”

You can’t be blamed for your lapse of interest and commitment to your fitness resolutions. After all, you were at your local park for an hour every day for two weeks. But all that running around and around and around made you feel a little like a hamster.

friends volleyball beach

Solution: Mix it up a little. Fitness doesn’t have to be dull and boring. Find a way to do things you like. For instance try boxing, kayaking, beach volleyball surfing and swimming. Fitness isn’t just lifting weights and running in circles, so allow yourself to have fun with your workouts.

Excuse #10: “I didn’t reach my goals so I gave up.”

Okay, so you were really hoping that within a month you’d be able to run ten miles without a break. But after three weeks, you could still barely run two miles, let alone ten. You felt frustrated and defeated so, well, you gave up.

Solution: Sometimes it can be hard to know what to strive for, especially when you haven’t worked out in a while. This is why it’s good to keep your goals targeted, measurable and realistic. While setting a goal to run ten miles within a month is targeted and realistic, it’s also a little, erm, hopeful. It’s best to start off small and work your way up. Develop fitness stepping-stones that will pave the way to your ultimate goal.

Well, there you go. All of your dirty, excuse-ridden, anti-fitness laundry has been aired. How do you feel? Lighter? More motivated? Inspired? You should be, because this fitness thing – you’ve got it all under control. Now go kick some fitness resolution butt and make 2013 the year you stick to your goals!

About the author

Cassandra Lane

While Cassandra readily admits to being a rampant cupcake aficionada (how could she not be with an almost-brother-in-law that owns not one, but three cupcake shops?) she happily works off her lust of all things sweet and sugary by slogging it out in the gym and outdoors.

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