Overcoming Your Obstacles (or Excuses) to Exercise

We know the benefits of regular exercise and most of us are keen to exercise regularly but too often “stuff” gets in the way.

The main excuse I hear is lack of time, but other excuses include lack of motivation, boredom, no energy, no access to a gym – in fact the list of excuses can be as endless as your lack of progress and results. So what can we do to overcome these obstacles?

7 Tips to Overcome Obstacles to Exercise

Time - make it a priority

We live in a fast paced, always on, 24/7 environment. We have busy lives -school, uni, work commitments, family, social and other responsibilities. For many, exercise time often gets shoved to the very bottom on the priority list of demands on our time. The most successful people I see are those who schedule exercise into their week. They diarise it, put it into Outlook, mark it on the calendar and they do not miss these sessions – no matter the weather or their location. Treat your session like a dentist appointment- would you blow this appointment off in your saw it in your diary? No! You would show up, as you know it is important.

There are 168 hours in a week. So look at your week and plan your sessions as per your Springday program, lock them in for 2 weeks and do not miss them. Block the time out in outlook – and make it a priority. Once you form the habit it will be easy to follow each week.
Work toward small goals

We all love a sense of achievement and the positive feelings this creates within us. This in turn motivates us to keep going toward the next small goal. Create small steps or goals in your program to work towards - touching your toes, another 5 push ups, completing your run in 1 minute less, learning a new exercise. This gives you a mental goal to physically work towards and keeps you progressing and renewing your motivation. Track these goals in your "My Journey" section of Springday. When you acheive them, reward yourself! Get a massage or go out to dinner.
Follow a program

Once you have your days locked in, what exercise will you actually do? Do you just lace up your shoes and go for a jog or a walk? The best way by far is to have a clear idea of what you will do each session. Remember we looked at the 3 S’s of fitness - suppleness strength and stamina. So make sure your week includes some flexibility, some cardio and some strength for a balanced program. If you are following a Springday program, all this has been worked out for you, all you have to do is find the time.
Change your program regularly

So many people just do the same gym program or the same run or the same class week in and week out. If nothing changes then nothing changes and progress slows or stops and you get bored and unmotivated. Create variety. Variety will eliminate boredom and routine creeping in. Change your program every 4-6 weeks. the main changes you can make are the type or time of exercise, the frequency or the intensity or a combination of these four factors. Think FITT to remember this.
Train with some one

Research shows, that if you train with a group or a friend you will increase the intensity and effectiveness of your work out. I think a training partner is a great idea. Having some one there for some sessions makes you accountable to some one else and you often push each other to train a bit harder than you would on your on. Book the times in each week and commit to each other to be there. It may not be practical for every session but aim for at least 1 a week. If you do not have a training buddy visit the Springday Community to find one, or maybe have a session with a personal trainer periodically to help set a program and drive you a bit harder. Or schedule a class you enjoy into your week and commit to turn up to it every week.
Have a plan B

Away from home with work? Raining outside? Gym closed or no time to get there? You could just let the session go or you could go to your plan B. I set all my clients up with a home exercise program they can do without equipment or inside if need be. You can do a great session in 20 mins if you have a plan - think about including some skipping, stair climbs, hill jogs, trunk work and some stretches to finish. Having a clear plan stops the obstacle of not knowing what to do and using this an excuse.
Schedule time off

If you are training consistently then actually not training or easing back is vital to keep going long term. You should not train at the same level for 52 weeks a year. In fact I think it is a good idea to take a break every 5 - 6 weeks. this may mean easing back to some low intensity session or doing a week of easy activities rather than exercise sessions. It gives the body a chance to catch up and recover and gives you a mental break to rejuvenate and come back fresh for the next week to start the next small block of training. Holidays are perfect time to do this but work deadlines or exam periods may also be a good time to schedule in a lighter week. We call these weeks unloading weeks in sports conditioning – they unload the physical and mental system by reducing the number of sessions and the intensity of sessions.