Ditch the Excuses: Find Your Motivation to Exercise Today

If you’re a couch potato looking for some motivation to get moving, trust me, there isn’t any. You’re just going to have to take responsibility for yourself, like a grown adult, and just get moving.

I’ve noticed, especially as the temperatures get warmer, it is the perfect opportunity to kick yourself where the sun doesn’t shine. A lot of people make excuses that they don’t have the energy, or the inclination, or they don’t know what to do when starting an exercise routine.

Getting Started: Easy Exercises for Beginners

I believe the quickest and easiest way to start exercise is just to start moving. Get yourself a comfortable pair of walking shoes and start walking around the block. You don’t even have to walk anywhere, just start walking. If you need to go to the shops… you can walk to the shops.

The first obstacle to overcome is finding an exercise routine that appeals to you. You might not necessarily want to join a gym, but I do think joining a gym is a wonderful option if you don’t have motivation. Sometimes people need a personal trainer who can keep them motivated.

An added advantage of joining a gym is that you have a qualified professional doing all the thinking for you. One thing that I loved about a group fitness class, a cardio class, or a body conditioning class, is that I didn’t have to think about what I was going to do.

There are many outdoor fitness classes that you can join. There’s Parkrun, I see lots of these organised walks where you can join with any level of fitness. And they walk places, I don’t know where they’re walking to, but they walk.

Don’t enjoy running or walking? Grab a bicycle, or dust off your old bicycle, or buy a second-hand bicycle. Sometimes cycling is a more comfortable than plodding up and down the street. If you’ve got a pool, or you’ve got access to a pool, swimming is a wonderful exercise. Swimming also takes a lot of pressure off your joints and your back.

Making Exercise a Habit: Tips for Success

One of my favourite activities is hiking because you don’t need any specialised equipment. A comfortable pair of shoes, a pair of shorts, and a T shirt, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget water, sunscreen, and a hat.

If you need some motivation: Your body is never going to be as good as it is today. As they say, use it or lose it.

Just to look after bone density, which is something that affects men and women, I add a pair of dumbbells whenever I’m walking. I’m not literally pumping iron, and they don’t have to be heavy dumbbells, it’s just to tone and condition.

The Importance of Flexibility and Mobility

Flexibility is equally important. There are so many different measures of physical fitness. For example, strength, endurance, stamina, cardiovascular activity, etc.

Flexibility is possibly the most important of all. I often tell people, if you need to bend down and pick something off the floor, or if you need to stretch up and grab something off the top shelf, or if something rolls under the bed and you’ve got to get on your knees and twist your spine to reach underneath the bed to grab whatever might have fallen under the bed… you’re going to need flexibility to do that.

A lot of mature people- I think that’s a nicer word than elderly, but I look at a lot of mature people and I notice that they don’t have good flexibility in their Achilles coming up through their calves, hamstrings, and their glutes, so they take very short little steps, almost tippy-toe steps, instead of taking long, flexible strides. All of that tightness pulls into their back and then eventually hunches their shoulders. So, flexibility is not only better for your posture, it is better for your movement.

Big word, movement. And that’s what I’ve always focused on, is movement. How can I be strong, flexible, and to keep moving? Movement has become a mantra for me.

All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.

Whenever I don’t feel like exercising, I just tell myself, “All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other. You get out of bed, you put on your tackies, and you start walking. And if you want to make it a little bit more advanced, grab a pair of dumbbells!”

It’s not only because I was a fitness instructor, but it’s even when I talk to friends, I hear all the excuses why they can’t focus on a healthier lifestyle. They don’t have time, they don’t have the energy, they don’t have the strength, they don’t have the flexibility. What they do have are lots of excuses.

So, I encourage everyone, to ask yourself, what is your excuse why you aren’t exercising more frequently? And whatever your excuse is, think of the best counter-argument. Admittedly, one of the benefits of exercising is any kind of exercising, it makes you look better and it makes you feel better.

I used to have a lot of back issues which led me to do yoga and Pilates. I found they helped to strengthen my core and improve my spinal flexibility. I improved my range of movement and I could support myself better.

I like to focus on the health benefits like feeling stronger, feeling more flexible, having more energy, being able to do things, and being able to manage stress better. Even if you’re a self-proclaimed couch potato, you can’t deny the physical benefits and the mental benefits.

Beyond Physical Health: Mental Benefits of Exercise

Exercise helps with stress relief. It’s a mood booster. Exercise releases endorphins, which makes you think better about yourself, even if you don’t look better to yourself.

Exercise also helps with cognitive function, which is a way of saying that if you’re stupid, exercise could make you clever. That’s a bit of a simplification, but it can enhance cognitive function. It also enhances focus, concentration and memory. I often think of the mind like a muscle. If you’re not using your mind, it is going to deteriorate.

Regular exercise can increase confidence and help reduce depression. These are important benefits for anyone dealing with mental health or self-esteem issues.

Regardless of your physical ability, add “more exercise” to your springtime resolutions and get physical!