4 Fitness Excuses That Need a Spring Cleaning
Today’s post is provided by Life Fitness, one of our favorite providers of fitness equipment. For more fitness advice, visit www.lifefitness.com or follow them on Twitter or Facebook.
It’s time to reawaken the hibernating bear in all of us, and kick-start a commitment to good health with a little spring fitness cleaning. Follow these tips to recognize the excuses that may be sabotaging your goals this spring!
4 Excuses to Clean Up This Spring
Excuse #1: I’m too overweight to exercise.
Some people are afraid to join a gym because they think they’ll be the only overweight person there. In fact, you will find people of all shapes and sizes at the gym, and most gym-goers will be far too focused on their own bodies to pay any attention to yours. And even if a gym environment isn’t right for you or your pocketbook, there are still plenty of other options. Put on a pair of walking shoes and start striding through your neighborhood in the morning. If you’re not comfortable with exercising in public, perhaps it’s time for you to invest in a piece of home cardio equipment. Doing so will allow you to exercise in the privacy of your own home.
Excuse #2: Exercise is boring.
It doesn’t have to be. Variety and playfulness are essential to healthy movement. When you were a kid, exercise was fun because you didn’t call it exercise. You called it “riding bikes” or “going swimming” or “playing tag.” At what age did we stop having fun through movement? Try putting activities like this on your list: play hide-and-seek with your kids, Frisbee with your dog, tennis with your spouse on Saturday mornings. The important word here is play. If you’re working out indoors, make your experience fun by watching a movie or listening to great music while you’re moving.
Excuse #3: I don’t have time to exercise.
The calories you burn at 6 p.m. are no different than the calories you burn at 6 a.m. The important thing is to work on your cumulative caloric burn throughout the day. Making a 10-minute workout the first activity of the day is a great way to start your mornings. If you are not a morning person,try fitting a 10-minute workout into your lunch break. Or take 10 minutes for exercise as soon as you get home from work while watching your favorite news show or sitcom. If you manage to do all three, congratulations! Those 30 minutes of exercise are just as good for you as one full 30-minute session.
Excuse #4: It’s my genetics.
This is true to a point—genetics play a role in cholesterol and heart disease—but 70 percent of aging is simply lifestyle choices. So the little choices you make every day, such as taking 10 minutes at the beginning and end of your day for exercise, are just as important as genetics in determining how long you live and how good you feel.
How will you spring clean your lifestyle for the better? —Jenn