The Excuses People Make Not to Exercise

It seems that people are far too keen to make excuses not to exercise. Once upon a time, people used to exercise without even having to think about it – walking and cycling to school or work was just something people did. Nowadays, though, most people are reliant on their cars and do not make the effort to do any kind of physical activity. There are so many other things that people could be doing with their time, such as watching television or playing computer games, that they would prefer to stay indoors and relax rather than working up a sweat.

The most often used excuse is probably lack of time. This is a good one because it implies that you would love to do some exercise, really, but that there are so many more important things going on in your life which make it impossible for you to go for a thirty minute walk or for a quick jog around the block. You conveniently forget the number of hours you spend watching television when you come in from work, because otherwise you would have to accept that you don't always use your time productively. The chances are you could make time for exercise if you wanted to, but you just can't be bothered.

It may be that you have a partner and children, so that you aren't able to use your free time as you would like. You may have others to consider, but everyone benefits from leading an active lifestyle and so, surely, it is a good idea to get everyone on board. You may have very young children, which makes it difficult to leave the house, but there is nothing to stop you from investing in a cheap exercise bike. As for older children, you should be encouraging them to stay active, anyway, since children should be doing at least an hour of exercise a day. Why not get the whole family doing exercise?

You may prefer to blame the weather for your inability to exercise, as you are less inclined to do anything when it's cold, windy and wet outside, even though you don't need to go outdoors to get a workout. Perhaps, you're worried that you're too unfit and that people are going to stare at you when you're huffing and puffing away whilst jogging through the park in some hideous outfit. Everyone has to start somewhere, though, as nobody becomes fit without putting in some effort. Plus, it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks when it is your health at stake.

Indeed, that is what you have to remember when you begin to make excuses – usually to yourself – about why you cannot exercise. It is only your health and well-being that is going to suffer if you fail to look after your fitness, and so it is simply a waste of time to keep making excuses when you'd be better off going for a walk or doing something else that requires you to expend some energy. You will definitely notice the benefits of leading an active lifestyle, so that eventually you will be less inclined to make excuses to avoid exercise.