Any Workout is Better than NO Workout at All!
We all make excuses, but as an exercise physiologist with a decade of personal training experience, I consider myself an expert at making excuses for why I shouldn’t workout.
See, as a fitness expert, I can throw in some BS science or excuses as to why I can’t/shouldn’t lift weights or do cardio right now.
I’m lifting legs tomorrow so I can’t run today.
My blood sugar is low right now so I probably shouldn’t do a HIIT workout.
I only have 20 mins and that’s not enough time for a good workout.
I’m too busy with work today and don’t have time to workout.
We are all guilty of this. We tell ourselves that it’s ok to skip this one workout, after all, it’s only one workout, right?
Unfortunately, it’s a slippery slope my friends.
We decide to skip the gym on Monday. On Tuesday, an unexpected work meeting pops up and we have to skip our scheduled workout. Wednesday rolls around and we had a stressful day at work, so naturally the last thing we want to do is workout afterwards.
Our brains constantly come up with excuses all the time, but we often don’t notice it until it’s too late.
One day quickly turns into a few days, which turns into a whole week, later evolving into an entire month and pretty soon we find ourselves unhappy with our body and/or the way we feel.
What was the solution for me?
I had to stop focusing on making every workout “perfect” and just start with actually working out. Never forget…any workout is better than no workout at all!
To start this process, commit to something that is easily achievable, such as showing up to the gym and walking for 10 minutes on the treadmill. If you feel like continuing your workout after that short walk, great! Move on to some weight training. If you don’t want to keep going, that’s fine. After all, you only committed to showing up and walking on the treadmill for 10 minutes.
I’m willing to bet that after driving all the way to the gym and walking for 10 minutes, you will most likely stay and continue exercising for longer. After a few weeks or months of consistency, you’ve made working out a habit and can then set the bar even higher.
For many people, getting to the gym can be the toughest part. The more we think about going, the more excuses we can come up with. If you learn to block out those excuses, stay consistent, and make exercising a habit, that’s the recipe for transforming your body.
Yours in health,
Tom Daubert
ACSM CEP
Compel Fitness