Why You Don't Exercise

Maybe You're Not Just Lazy

Are you overweight? Guilty of starting and quitting more diet plans and exercise programs than you want to remember? If so, you may be wondering what's wrong with you...are you lazy? There are plenty of lazy people in this world, but most of us don't fall into that category. Here's why you don't exercise.

The Little Devil

I'm not clinically insane (hopefully) but I do have voices in my head. These voices belong to everyone from my parents to that guy on TV who's always telling me that I can lose weight in just minutes a day. My most prominent voice is The Little Devil. If you've ever had an argument with yourself like this, you may have a Little Devil too:

You: Time to workout!
Little Devil: Uh, I don't really feel like it. I'm tired.
You: Come on...we already missed our workout yesterday.
LD: Two days? Big deal!
You: But every time we skip a workout, it gets easier not to exercise.
LD: I'm tired.

Getting Rid of the Little Devil

• Stop the argument. For every excuse the little devil devises, reply, "I'm working out anyway." Better yet, just say, "I'm not listening! La la la la!"
• Remind yourself of the facts. You're not physically tired (unless you have a physical job), you're mentally tired. The best cure for that is physical activity
• Be prepared. Having your workout gear handy and your exercise time scheduled can be a big help in dealing with The Little Devil.
• Never go home. Going home before your workout will almost always lead to skipping exercise.

Now, you've dealt with the voices in your head. Time to figure out how to be enthusiastic about exercise (really, it's possible).

Exercise doesn't have to suck

The Exercise Blah's
The Blah's happen to all of us. You excitedly plan a week's worth of exercise routines on Sunday but, Monday comes and suddenly your noon workout sounds about as much fun as cleaning the toilet. What happened to that enthusiasm? Are you lazy? Not necessarily. If you were really lazy you probably wouldn't care whether you walked during lunch or ate a Big Mac. No, what you are is afraid. Afraid that:

• You won't be able to go very far. What if you can only make it for 5 minutes? You'll be a loser!
• It will be hard. You'll have to change clothes, then you'll have to sweat (ugh). Your lungs will burn, your legs will hurt...no thanks!
• You won't reach the guidelines set out by the ACSM: at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.
• If you can't do that, why bother?
• You won't be perfect. What if you pass other 'real' exercisers while you huff and puff for barely a mile? What will they think?

The need to do it right...to do it perfectly...to work as hard as you can is what makes it hard to do in the first place. But, you have to start with baby steps.

Recapture that enthusiasm

• Redefine your idea of exercise. Does workout=work? It doesn't have to. You already work all day...why would you want one more miserable task to do? Think about it like this: I've been sitting in this stuffy office all day listening to my boss whine, now I have 30 whole minutes to get out of here for a while. That's not exercise--that's sanity!
• Ask for help. Is there someone at work or a friend you trust? Tell them you're having trouble sticking with exercise and ask them to workout with you.
• Remind yourself. Write yourself notes and put them on your computer, your car, your shoes...everywhere. Remind yourself of your plan ("I will exercise for 30 minutes today") and why you're doing it ("I'd love to wear a sleeveless shirt this summer").
• Do what you can. If you can't workout for 30 minutes yet, so what? Go for as long as you can and do more tomorrow. It's that simple and it all counts.

Now, you've gotten your head on straight, why not play a few mind games with yourself? Using your imagination can add a little motivation to your workouts on those days when it's hard to get your butt moving.