Fitness Friday Top 4 Exercise Excuses and How to Beat Them How to stop making excuses and start getting fit. By Karen Springen WebMD Feature What’s keeping you from working out? Whether it’s too little time, not enough energy, or just hating to exercise, theres a solution. Get ready to get motivated. Exercise Excuse No. 1: I Dont Have Time. How much television do you watch? asks Walter Thompson, PhD, professor of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University. During your shows, use resistance bands for strength training, or walk in place. You could also record your shows and watch them later, skipping the ads; use that time to exercise. If you dont have a long stretch of time, you could break up your workout into shorter sessions. Some activity is better than none. We find time for things we value, says James Hill, PhD, co-founder of the National Weight Control Registry. Exercise Excuse No. 2: Im Too Tired. Working out actually gives you more energy. Your body makes feel-good hormones (endorphins), and youre getting the circulation going, says Marisa Brunett, a certified athletic trainer in Orlando, Fla. It may help to work out in the morning before your day gets away from you, says kinesiologist Lynette Craft, PhD. Shes an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University. Not a morning person? No problem. Do it whenever you feel best, says Brunett, who likes to work out in the middle or at the end of the day. Exercise Excuse No. 3: I Dont Get a Break From the Kids. Take the kids with you, Hill says. While theyre playing, you can walk around the playground, or jump rope nearby. During their games or sports practices, walk briskly around the field. Go biking with your kids, put up a badminton net in your yard, sign up as a family for fun runs, or just walk around the neighborhood with your children. When the weathers bad, try active video games like Dance Dance Revolution, Wii Sport, and Wii Fit. When mom or dad is more fit, has more energy, the whole family benefits,” says psychologist Christina Recascino, PhD. Exercise Excuse No. 4: Exercise Is Boring. Find an activity you love. Try inline skating, dancing, or gardening. Join a sports league. Or go dancing. Theres an exercise for everyone, Recascino says. It doesnt have to be onerous or unpleasant. If it makes exercise more enjoyable for you, its OK to watch TV or read while youre on the exercise bike or treadmill, as long as your workout is still challenging. Get some friends to go with you, or join a group. And every once in a while, try something totally new. “Mix it up so you dont get bored,” Brunett says.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 13:49:39 +0000
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