Sometimes simply nothing works for us. It is not our day. We hate life and the world around us. It is hard for us to get ourselves going for much fewer things than work out. As we lie tucked in bed, we think ahead about what awaits us. To get up. Not to give up. To get dressed. To get out. To go to the gym. To change our clothes. To work out. To take a selfie. To work out a bit more. To change our clothes again. To dry our hair (if you are a woman). To get out. To stop by to KFC. To come home. To take a shower. To go back to bed. What then prevents us from just shortening it all, order take-out, and stay in bed? Nothing. Wait, maybe there is something that can stop us… In this text, we will list 5 excuses that we impose on ourselves, and then we will refute each of them.
Table of Contents
Excuse number 1: I don’t have time to work out
You always have time, it is just a matter of what you do with it. Let’s rationalize the notion of time a little. The week has 168 hours. When we take away 56 hours we spend sleeping and the 50 we spend at work, we are left with 62 hours. People build their lives by filling them with things that are important to them. If working out is not important to you and you want to spend your free time in a different way, that is completely legitimate but then stop hiding behind the excuse “I don’t have time”. You really have to commit to working out, and you will only do that if you put it high on your priority list. Always plan everything a week ahead and leave room for change, so you will always have time.
Excuse number 2: I just curled up in bed now, I’ll work out next week
We are always torn between the present and the future, aware that everything we do now will leave a mark in the future. Our future I, therefore, knows that it is much better to get out of the warm bed (from which you watch your favorite TV show, google an item to decorate your home, surf through social media, or bet online at top-rated bookmakers by the link on your favorite sports team) now and go to work out but there is never an equal battle between the future I and the present I. This is for the simple reason that we are present in the present time and have control over it. We eat donuts and do not train in the present, not in the future. Still, think a little. Imagine yourself in 20 or 30 years if you do not start exercising at this exact moment. Are private doctors too expensive for you? Will it be difficult for you to run after your grandchildren or even your own children? Does every bone hurt you? If the answer is “Yes”, drop that donut out of your hands and get going.
Excuse number 3: I feel more like reading a book/Watching a movie
Welcome to the 21st century, we have wonderful news for you – you can do both at the same time. In the age of audiobooks and phones so big that they can easily take a role of a tablet, there is no room for renunciation. Moreover, research has shown that we are much more productive then because we combine physical activity and desired activity.
Excuse number 4: I’m not in shape, people in the gym will laugh at me
People will always judge, and you should not be one of them. If you already think in advance that people will judge you, you have automatically condemned them to ruthlessness, rudeness, and arrogance; and it is very likely that this is not really the case. And even if it is, do not take it personally. You do not punish your body by bringing it into a form that you will be satisfied with, you take care of it. And there is no room for ridicule, only admiration.
Excuse 5: When I imagine myself sweaty and flushed, I immediately want to give up
Serena Williams is probably not thrilled either with those semi-pornographic shouts she lets out during the match but that is also part of her job (which brought her millions). Try to visualize something else. Before you start doing a certain exercise, imagine something that will distract you, and, at the same time, relax you. If you need to run on a treadmill, imagine the path you are taking. Will you turn at the creek, or will you continue to the clearing? Does it seem to you or do you see the train in the distance? Then open your eyes, take a deep breath and get going.
