Do you tell yourself that this is the day that you start working out consistently? That from now on, you will go to the gym or find the time to exercise only to instead find an excuse not to workout instead? Sound all too familiar to you?
While it’s easy to come up with a reason why today isn’t the day to fit a workout session in, it’s also just as easy to come up with reasons why you can. In this post, we’re going to go through the top 5 excuses not to workout and if it rings a bell, follow our recommended solutions so that you can get on your feet, without the excuses.
Need a workout program? Check out our New Years Promotions.
1. “I Don’t Know How To Train Properly”
There are those who really do want to workout, get fit and healthy, but they just don’t know where to start or what to do.
They head to the gym, choose random few exercises and repeat each time. While these sessions are great because you are moving, in the long run, it won’t help you progress as much because there’s no rhyme or reason to your training.
Having a direction will help you progress and improve and bring your further towards your fitness goal.
SOLUTIONS
Invest in a coach/personal trainer
A coach or personal trainer are there to give you that direction.
They take into account your personal history and your fitness goals to create a customized program for you to get there.
Not to mention, having a trainer or coach will do wonders in helping you learn the correct form and technique and hold you accountable.
There are different options that you can take, such as in-person training, online coaching or even just to get a written training program, depending on your needs.
One of the issues with hiring a trainer is that they’re expensive, which brings us to the next solution.
Use a fitness app
Another really great and cheaper alternative is to use a fitness app.
A good fitness app will generate training programs for you that are tailored to your personal goals, such as FitBod. It’s like having a personal trainer right in your hands that tells you everything you need to do.
Not only that, you’ll know that your workouts are workouts of value, that is, you’re not just doing random exercises put together. You’ll be given workout sessions that are designed to help you reach your fitness goal, whether that’s to build muscle, grow strength, lose fat or maintain your current weight.
With a fitness app like FitBod, there really is no excuse.
2. “I’m Just Too Tired.”
We get it. The thought of exercising can be enough to make us feel tired. In the morning, you’d rather sleep. In the afternoon, you’re just too exhausted after a long day at work. Not to mention, all the errands you need to get done before dinner. Being tired is a common excuse for people to cite when it comes to skipping their workout.
But, here’s the thing: Exercise can actually help with that.
Yes, it physically tires you but simultaneously, it can give you the energy that you feel you’re lacking. By moving, your body releases natural hormones called endorphins. These chemicals give you a happy, positive response, which can perk you right up.
That’s just one short term response that happens immediately when you begin exercising. But working out regularly does wonders for your energy levels in the long run as well.
Not only does your body release endorphins to give you that boost of energy and mood that’s sometimes called “runner’s high” but it also creates more mitochondria, which are the cells that produce energy.
The more mitochondria in your body, the more energy you’ll have, which is why exercise, and in this case, a cardiovascular exercise in particular, can help you beat fatigue and boost energy.
So if you find that you keep excusing yourself from workouts because you’re too tired, just remember that exercising is actually the perfect antidote.
SOLUTIONS:
Here are our recommendations to actually getting up and moving, even when you’re feeling fatigued:
Start slow then build on that.
Instead of heading straight into a run, tell yourself that you’ll just go for a walk. This minimizes the pressure you put on yourself to put in so much effort, especially when you’re not really feeling it…yet. Once you get out in the open and start moving, you’ll realize that sooner than later, you’ll be ready to kick it up a notch.
Take pre-workout
And if anything, take advantage of pre-workout. Some people prefer not to use it, which is fine. But if you do need that extra kick to wake up, then pre-workout is a good option. This could be a pre-workout drink or even a coffee that you’ll have 40 minutes or so before you intend to start exercising. With a boost of energy, you’ll be ready to get moving.
Looking for a workout program? Try using the Fitbod App, which will design your program based on your logged training data and goals. The workouts will adapt automatically to your levels of recovery and rate of progress. With over 600 movements and exercises videos, you can be sure to perform the movements correctly for optimal results. Take the guesswork out of your workouts. Try Fitbod for free.
3. “I Don’t Have Time”
Honestly, sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. There’s work, school, errands, parent duties, cooking, not to mention, squeezing in any social time into your days. It feels like everything is just right after the other so you constantly push back working out until eventually, you dismiss it altogether.
Exercising is so important to our physical and mental health, so instead of trying to just find time for working out, make time. Everyone has the same 24-hours a day as everybody else. It’s all a matter of how you use it.
SOLUTIONS:
Here’s how to make exercising a priority:
Analyze your calendar
Making fitness a priority is sometimes easier said than done. That’s why the key is to make your workout times convenient.
Take a look at your schedule and determine whether you really don’t have time or if the things that you’re doing are actually adding value to your life. If you add up all the minutes you spend mindlessly scrolling on Instagram or Facebook or the extra episode on Netflix you sneak in at night, can you really say that you don’t have any time to workout?
If you free this space in your schedule, then you can fit in more exercise time than you probably think.
Sneak it in
A workout session doesn’t have to be over an hour-long at the gym.
While it can help to get through your training in one go, sometimes, it may not be plausible and in these cases, little things do add up.
So sneak in some workout time here and there, whenever you can fit in. Get in some squats while you wait for dinner to cook in the oven or add in some steps while vacuuming.
Need to go grocery shopping? Leave the car at home and go on foot.
These small actions every now and again can add up and make a big difference. Breaking up your workout throughout the day can also mean that you don’t have to change your routine too much and instead can fit it into your day-to-day life.
The Fitbod app will tailor workouts based on your time commitments, workout equipment, and skill level. Check it out for free workouts!
4. “It’s Boring”
Some people may thrive on focusing on one thing and always coming back to it. Others may find doing the same thing over and over again, which can make exercise boring. And we all know all too well that if you find exercise boring, you’ll feel less inclined to workout.
Want to spice up your workout routine but don’t know how to? Try some of these solutions:
SOLUTION
Find something fun
The antidote to boring exercise is to find an exercise that you don’t find boring!
Contrary to belief, you don’t have to work out in a gym if that’s not what you like to do (but if you do, great!). Try different types of workouts to identify the ones that you genuinely enjoy because if you actually like it, you won’t use the excuse that it’s boring to not workout anymore.
This could be a team sport or dancing or anything else that gets you moving without making it feel like you have to move.
Here are other articles we wrote on some of the best home and bodyweight workouts to get some other ideas:
3 Leg Workouts To Build Muscle At Home
3 At Home Upper Body Workouts To Build Muscle
How To Start Strength Training With Dumbbells Only
3 Day Muscle Toning Program You Can Do At Home
Burn 500 Calories Working Out At Home In Just 30-Min
Find an exercise buddy
Finding someone to buddy up with will not only help hold you accountable to meeting your fitness sessions but it can also make it less boring and more fun!
Like we mentioned previously, a team sport can mix things up, not to mention, gives you a team and community to be part of.
There are also many fitness classes that make it easy to meet people as well as running groups.
Or you could find a buddy to do exercises that are generally solo activities like going to the gym.
Just be sure to find someone who pushes you and holds you accountable just as you would for them.
Make it fun
If you don’t want to try different exercises to what you’re currently doing, then instead, you can find ways to make it fun.
This may mean listening to your favorite podcast, gamifying your workouts or starting a competition with your friends.
Curate a workout playlist that always gets you pumped in no matter what.
All these ideas can facilitate in making your workouts less boring.
5. “I Can’t Afford A Gym”
Finances can understandably play a big role in people not working out. With bills, mortgages, rent, school/university fees having to juggle let alone your day-to-day life expenses, it’s understandably difficult to include an expensive gym membership fee on top of that. But what if we told you there are ways that you can afford to workout and get your fitness in?
SOLUTIONS:
Research cheaper gyms
However, expensive gyms are not the only way to get a good workout in. There are gyms that cater to those who prioritize convenience over boutique fitness experience.
Research around your local area as there may be local, independent gyms that offer cheaper memberships and still give you everything you need for good training sessions.
Another alternative is to find parks around your area. Parks are great (and free!) facilities that offer some equipment that you can find in your gym, and enough to cover the basics, such as pull-ups.
Check out our article on 1-hour outdoor workouts you can do.
Get versatile equipment
Contrary to belief, if you want to workout at home, you won’t be losing out.
In fact, by choosing a select few pieces of equipment to buy for your workouts, you can cover a range of exercises for much, much cheaper.
Some great equipment buys are resistance bands, kettlebells, and dumbbells.
It may seem like an investment, but they last for a long time and you won’t have to pay any ongoing membership fees, while still getting your workouts in.
If you already have resistance bands, download the Fitbod app, select “bands” under equipment, and let us give you challenging workouts that fit your skill and ability level.
Final Notes
It’s all too common to use one or two, or even all of these excuses to skip your workouts. However, there will always be something that can get in the way of you exercising. Instead of looking for ways to get out of working out, look for ways that you can prioritize it and ensure that you get your daily dose of movement in. Use our recommended solutions so there can be no more excuses! Your future self will thank you for it.
About The Author
As a health and fitness writer, Emily combines her two passions—powerlifting and writing. With a creative writing degree under her belt, she spends her mornings lifting weights, her nights putting pen to paper, and eating too many snacks in between.