How To Stop Making Excuses and Start Working Out

Do you want to get into a fitness routine but it just hasn't happened? You're not alone! Especially this year with the challenges of COVID, I'm hearing a lot of reasons why people aren't working out. While I understand it can be overwhelming to get started, you are going to feel SO much better in your body and mind when you stop making excuses and get started. Today I'm addressing the top 4 excuses I hear and how to overcome those.

4 Reasons You're Not Working Out and How to Overcome Those Excuses:

1. You hate working out.

You're not alone! In general, it IS more comfortable to stay at rest. When I hear people say they hate working out that implies that working out is easier and more enjoyable for other people. But those people who consistently wake up and do a workout early in the morning? Or those runners that go out the door rain or shine? They went through their own journey to get to that point.

If you want to transform into someone who is consistently physically active these are the steps you need to start taking:

• Start focusing on the way you feel AFTER working out instead of how miserable it is while you're working out. After working out do you feel accomplished, more energized and focused, healthy, strong, and less stressed? Focus on those feelings.
• Create a system that works into your lifestyle to start making physical activity an automatic part of your daily routine.
• Stop making workouts feel miserable. If you're completely out of breath during your run or you feel like throwing up at the end of a workout you're pushing yourself too hard. You will see much greater results if you do a moderate effort workout daily instead of a super intense single workout. You'll also avoid injury!

2. You don't have time.

If you're reading this blog post or watching this video you have time to work out! You do not have to fit in an hour long workout every day to see results. I'm guessing you can find at least 5 free minutes in your day, so start there. Five minutes of physical activity each day is going to get you much greater results than no activity.

3. You don't have equipment.

You don't need any equipment (or a lot of space) for a great workout! You can even get a good strength workout in with body weight exercises. If you're used to lifting super heavy in the gym this is a great opportunity to challenge your body in a new way. Instead of heavy weights do higher reps at a lighter weight, add in some plyometrics, or try more functional moves that challenge your balance and coordination. You can find a list of my favorite home workout resources here.

4. You don't have energy.

It's easy to hear the alarm go off and to opt for another half hour of sleep instead of a workout. And at the end of a long work day a workout can feel like the last thing you want to do. I get it! But while it may not feel like it, working out WILL give you a boost of energy.

Start small by going for a walk in the middle of the day to step away from your computer or while you're on a call. Stepping outside and moving for even 10 minutes will help you to feel refreshed and more focused for the rest of the day. I workout every morning because I have found that it makes me so much more focused, happy, and energized for the day. I highly recommend trying at least 5 minutes of movement in the morning to get your blood pumping and to help you wake up.

Getting into a consistent fitness routine can be overwhelming, but you can do it! Just start small and commit to doing at least a small amount of movement everyday. I guarantee you're going to love the way you feel in your body and mind when you stop making excuses. If you need some at-home workout inspiration you can find a list of some of my favorite online workout resources here.