The Most Common Exercise Excuses You Need to Stop Making This Year

Did you come up with some goals for 2016? It’s the 1st of the year, and you have to hold yourself accountable. No excuses!

Did you promise that you’d live a healthier lifestyle by eating organic, more plant-based or by incorporating more cardio or a weight routine into your workouts?

My goal this year is to have a kick ass Muay Thai/Kickboxing routine nailed down. (Don’t worry, I’m not planning on fighting in an octagon. I’m just training to look like a badass!). I want to be able to do pull-ups, and have a six-pack. These are all realistic and reachable goals; It’s the getting there part that is a challenge. BUT I have a road map and mini goals to accomplish to achieve my big picture goals.

You see, to reach your goals, you need to stop making excuses. And, believe me…I know this ll too well. But, I know for my own goals, excuses aren’t going to get me the results I want. Even when I’m the most tired and sore, I have to push myself to not let my excuse overshadow my goals.

I’m sure that you’ve used one of these excuses to NOT exercise:

1. I’m tired.
2. I’m hungry.
3. I’m full.
4. It’s too hot out.
5. It’s too cold out.
6. It’s raining.
7. It’s Friday.
8. It’s Monday.
9. It’s too expensive.
10. I need to lose weight before I can exercise.
11. I don’t know what to do when I get to the gym.
12. Everyone will laugh at me.
13. I hate going alone.
14. I’m too busy.

Most of these might sound a bit silly, but I’ve heard every single one of them. I’m sure each of us could add to this list as well.

Here’s the thing, though, excuses don’t move us forward. Excuses hold us back. They hold us back from experiencing life, and discovering what our bodies and minds can do. Excuses are a fear of the unknown and doubt.

If you look at the list, I can give you an easy fix or two for every single one of them. Don’t believe me? Here’s a fix to half of these excuses:

Excuse #1: “It’s too hot out.”
Can’t handle the heat? Then get inside or pick a cool room in your house to workout. Or go to an air-conditioned gym. See, problem solved. What’s your excuse now?

Excuse #2: “Its’ too expensive.”
Guess what? It’s not…at all! Who says you have to go to to a gym or a boutique studio like SoulCycle or BarMethod for a good workout? The days of having to join a gym and paying a ton of money for your workouts are gone. If you have access to the internet, you have access to an infinite resource of exercise videos either through YouTube, Podcasts, Instagram or other free fitness-related private websites. Don’t want to look at a computer screen? Then, grab a friend and go for a run or bike ride. Lay a blanket or yoga mat outside and practice yoga or pilates on the grass. Don’t have weights? Not problem. Grab a gallon of water and resistance bands for a kickass weight training routine

Excuse #3: “I need to lose weight before I exercise.”
Riiiighhht…. Unless your doctor has advised against exercise because of weight or medical issues, then you can get moving in some way today (not tomorrow.) If weight loss is a goal, then a healthy diet will complement your exercise efforts and your exercise will undoubtedly impact your nutritional goals. There is no magical time to start exercising. Just start today. Plus, how else do you plan on losing weight?

Excuse #4: “Everyone will laugh at me at the gym.”
No one will laugh at you. I promise! In fact, no one is paying attention to you. Everyone at the gym is so involved in their own thing and their own exercise experience. Seldom, the hardest part of working out is walking through the doors to the gym or into a studio for a class. I get it. I still get nervous going to a new studio or new gym. Many of us can get very self-conscious in those times when we feel uncomfortable. We might think everyone is looking at us or laughing at us.

Excuse #5 “It’s Friday.”
Sure, you deserve the day off… from work! Why not try to spin that into a fix to take the stairs everywhere instead of the elevator, park far away from the office in the parking lot, take a walk at lunch, and take it easy at Happy Hour with your co-workers. This way you are getting some exercise, in spite of your Friday excuse.

Excuse #6: “It’s raining.”
Okay, it’s raining outside, but it’s not inside. Find a YouTube video or follow a workout routine. Some of my favorites for this are Tone It Up and Blogilates. Both, offer a written out plan as well as a great YouTub channel. Kayla Itsines has an awesome app called Sweat With Kayla that you can do at home.

Excuse #7: “I’m too busy.”
This is the most common excuse. We are all busy. But if something is a priority (the finale season finale of Game of Thrones, for example), you will make time for it. So, make time for exercise. Try scheduling it into your calendar the same way you plan meetings, coffee dates, or other commitments. Make a commitment to yourself. Give yourself at least 30 minutes a day of better health and wellness. Interval training making your workout quick and sweaty. YouTubers Christine Salus and FitnessBlender offer plenty to pick from.

At some point, we are all going to come up with an exercise excuse. We are… human after all. (Yes. I just quoted Daft Punk.) However, if we want to see a change in our bodies and our minds, we have to shift our mindset towards what we can do and not what we can’t do. In fact, take “can’t” out of your vocabulary. Try this for 21-days…I promise you your outlook will change.

The next time you find yourself coming up with an excuse–whatever it is–try shifting your mindset to focus on something you can do and think positive.

Focus on what you can do and what’s doable. Change your thoughts from the weak excuses to the attainable, positive actions. Only you can overcome your excuses and though it might be hard and a struggle at times. But, your body and mind will benefit unbelievably from the mere act of doingsomething instead of making up an excuse.

Ultimately, it comes down to how much you want something.

How do you beat your excuses?

Article originally appeared on Let’s Regale.