Excuses, Excuses

by Ronni Mott
January 24, 2007

When it comes to exercise, or avoiding it, some of us have creative, if lame, excuses—my cat will miss me, for example. For the most part, though, our excuses aren’t unique.

For women: I’ll get huge muscles if I use weights. It’s a myth, girls. Testosterone is responsible for building those big muscles in men. A woman’s chromosomes and low testosterone levels will keep us from looking like body-builders.

I don’t have the time. When you need something done, ask a busy person. Busy people keep schedules and to-do lists. And that’s the secret to fitting exercise into your day—schedule it. Even five or 10 minutes of exercise a day makes a difference; it’s not an all-or-nothing thing.

I’ll be sore. The old “no pain, no gain” theory is no longer valid: You don’t have to hurt to get the benefit of exercise. If you feel pain when you exercise, stop. Get a professional’s help to find out what you’re doing wrong. If you do feel sore the next day, you probably overdid it.

I’m too out of shape. Um… yes, that would be the reason you should exercise, not an excuse to skip it. Find a class for beginners or an activity where you won’t feel out of place. Trust me, there are other folks who are beginners.

I don’t want to sign a contract. I’ll just waste my money. The key here is “try before you buy.” If you think you might want to join a gym, ask your friends for recommendations, then go on tours and ask for day passes. Some clubs will let you pay-as-you-go. Then, see if there are other patrons you can connect with.

Ultimately, to stick to your exercise program, you have to make it a non-negotiable must-do. The minute those excuses start creeping in, you’re already considering skipping it, and it might be too late. Nike was right—just do it.

Source:s health.com, womenshealthmag.com.