But, as clueless as I was, I joined my sister at the gym and we struggled our way through learning the various machines and exercises and I discovered a real passion for it! I liked how it made me feel and I wanted to learn more about it. Learning more was essential because the fitness industry is always changing and growing. What we thought was the be-all and end-all a year ago, is SO last season today;) I eventually did what I'd wanted to do for so long and I started studying to be an exercise scientist.
I love helping people realise their fitness potential. I just knew that, without the necessary knowledge, I couldn't train people properly and people were inclined to say, "Yeah... ok.... and then do their own thing anyway." That's what finally prompted me to study. The problem is, I have all this knowledge and yet people STILL don't seem inclined to take my well-intentioned advice. They either continue doing what they've always done, or they will find every excuse in the book NOT to exercise at all. They'll hop onto the next diet fad, convinced that that's what it will take to get those extra pounds off.
Since we've been following a traditional, real, organic, free-range, chemical free diet, and exercising as often as we do, I feel absolutely great and I struggle to get my head around why a person would choose the path of inactivity and bad nutrition when it's so obviously a route to disease and decrepitness. People all around us are sick, or getting sick or just tired and feeling unwell. Yet still people choose the, so-called, "easier" path of bad nutrition and lack of movement. Why is that?
There are many excuses and reasons for it and I'll tell you a few of the common ones. Then I'll tell you WHY they are still not good enough excuses!
- I can’t afford to go to a gym - Here's a newsflash: You don’t have to join a gym to exercise. I know everyone keeps telling you that. Of course they would. They want to make money. Believe it or not, gyms didn't exist a few decades ago and yet people were leaner and healthier than they are today. Why? Because they walked, they ran, they MOVED their bodies. You don't need fancy machines to exercise. You only need your own body weight. You've heard of a stomach crunch? A push up? A squat? All of those can be done on a lounge floor WITHOUT any fancy equipment. If a squat using your own body weight starts feeling too easy, do a jump squat. I dare you to try 12 in a row and tell me it's too easy!
- I'm pregnant OR I've just had a baby - Being pregnant is a big change, there's no doubt. And the old-fashioned way of thinking that pregnant women need to be careful and not over exert themselves is just that: old-fashioned. In fact, NOT moving could have dire consequences for you. You will start to get high blood pressure, you will retain water everywhere, your back will hurt even more, your balance will be off and you may even succumb to gestational diabetes. The actual birth itself will be extremely difficult due to your lack of fitness and your recovery AFTER the birth will be slow. There's a very good chance your body will hold on to the weight you gained and you will gain more. If you've just had a baby, by all means, take a few weeks to recover. It's a traumatic event on the body. But millions of women have given birth and their lives haven't ended. In the old days, they'd be up and cooking and cleaning within a few days. You need to get back in the saddle as soon as you can. If you don't want to leave your baby, exercise at home while they nap. Get your spouse to watch them while you go to gym. Believe me when I say you will cope far better because you will feel more energised. As someone who specialised in pre and post natal exercising, I have a small idea of what I'm saying;)
- I have health issues - Yes, and it's highly likely that those health issues started BECAUSE of poor nutrition and lack of movement. Sitting around like a couch potato lamenting the fact that your legs are in pain isn't going to actually fix things. If you can't move yet, start by changing your diet. Cut out gluten. It's not always the cause but 9 times out of 10 it is. I can't tell you how many people will actually stand there and say to me, "I just can't cut bread and pasta out of my life. I would be starving all the time!" Funny, I eat gluten-free bread and pasta and I don't remember going hungry at any point... No matter what your health issue is, exercise and a good diet will always help fix it, unless you are completely infirm or grievously injured. Even then a good diet will help your body heal faster. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, orthopedic problems, osteoporosis, these are all very real, scary problems to deal with but I promise you, exercise is STILL possible and WILL help heal you. There is always something that you can do, even if you are in a wheelchair. There is a member at our gym in a wheelchair with muscular dystrophy. Yet he comes to gym and exercises ON HIS OWN. If he can, anyone can.
- I don't know how to exercise - I'm sorry... you don't know how to walk? That's basically what THAT is saying to me. Walking is exercising. It may not give you the body you fantasize about but it will certainly heal a lot of pains. For anything else, there are personal trainers everywhere. Sign up for a few sessions and learn the ropes. If you can't afford that, google is your friend. The world wide web is at your fingertips. This one is really no excuse.
- I'm worried about getting big muscles - Honey, if it was THAT easy, we'd all look like Madonna... I've been gymming for 20 years. Do I look like a body builder? Far from it. It's really hard to build muscle if you are a woman. We're not genetically predisposed to it. You would need to be obsessed, use plenty supplements and follow a very specific diet. You won't get big muscles but you WILL burn body fat.
- I gymmed for a while but saw no results - There are two problems with this one: Firstly, you are exercising for the wrong reason. You should be exercising to stay healthy NOT lose weight. Secondly, it's a true story that weight loss is 20% exercise and 80% diet. If you thought it was going to be that easy to just get a "perfect" body, you were wrong. It takes hard work to get the body you dream about. Instead of gymming for that reason, gym because it energises and revitalises you and makes you feel healthier. The weight loss will happen when you aren't obsessing about it.
- I don't like feeling stiff when I exercise - Well, if you haven't exercised for 10 years, your body is going to find all the movements very unfamiliar. That's why you can't walk into a gym and start doing walking lunges and jump squats right off the bat. You need to ease your body in. Start with the toning circuit and very light weights and work your way up. You shouldn't need to push yourself to the point of agonising pain to see results, unless you are a body builder. If you can see that pain as something positive it might also help. Pain means you are going to be stronger and your bones will also get stronger. Something essential for women who fear osteoporosis.
- I'm going through menopause - Menopause is a part of life, not a disease. It happens to every women in varying degrees. It shouldn't stop you from exercising and, in fact, exercise and a good diet will HELP your symptoms. Even a brisk walk around your neighbourhood with a friend is better than nothing.
- I can't seem to maintain, I keep losing momentum - If you start a gym programme with high expectations, and you fail to see the results you want, of course you are going to want to quit. If you don't know what you're doing, or you are getting too sore after a session, it's enough to make most people lose interest. Don't go to gym expecting a miracle right off the bat. Set yourself small, realistic goals. For example, instead of saying, "I want to be able to see my bicep muscles by the end of the month," start by saying, "I want to be able to comfortably do 12 bicep curls with 4kgs by the end of the month." It's a definite that you are going to get stronger, but it's not a guarantee that you'll actually SEE those results yet. Having visible muscle has everything with to do with how much body fat you carry and that comes down mostly to your diet, NOT exercise.
- I don't have the time - Who does? GLM gets home from work at about 6.30pm and we arrive at gym at 7pm and gym until 8pm. Then we still go home, feed our 6 cats and then make dinner and feed ourselves. By that stage it's 9pm and the next day is work again. There IS actually time to exercise if you decide to make it a priority. The times that you get home from work and sit on the couch and say you're too tired to exercise? That right there is the REASON you are too tired to exercise. Exercise gives you the energy you need to get off the couch and get stuff done. We live in a crazy, busy, demanding world. Without exercise, I don't know how I'd keep up. Get yourself moving and you'll be amazed at how much more you get done.
Those are just some of the excuses I've heard. If you know anymore I'd love to hear about them. If you are guilty of telling yourself, or someone else, any of these, take a long hard look at yourself and realise that the only thing that stands between you and good health, is you.
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