It’s one thing to enthusiastically start on an exercise program and it’s
another thing to keep at it.
As soon as muscles start aching, a plethora of excuses not to go on
with the program crop up. Here are four of the most common ones plus
some crafty ways to bust them:
“I’m too exhausted after work.”
You can always adjust the time you devote to exercise.
Fitness gurus claim that the best time to have a workout is in the
morning before breakfast, especially if your objective is to lose
weight.
You
can also do mini-workouts at the
office
without having to change into gym clothes!
There are
hundreds of stretching and flexing exercises which you can do
in the privacy of your office, and even within a cubicle.
If at all
possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator when going to your
office. |
|
Halve
the distance if you’re somewhere on the upper floors, and
gradually increase the distance each day as your stamina improves.
Soon you’ll find that the more you stick to your exercise regimen, the
less exhausted you will be at work.
“My exercise routine is so boring.”
Worry not – this can be caused by a lot of reasons and can also be
remedied by a variety of solutions.
- Convince a friend to join you. Having
an
exercise partner motivates you to attend exercise sessions and could
help make things a bit more competitive. This partner could be your
husband, best friend, or relative.
- Consider changing trainers.
Boredom can
actually mean that your trainer isn’t motivating you enough. Don’t be
ashamed to cut the cord. A good trainer should not only teach you the
“How’s” – he or she should also instill the “Why’s.”
- Try a new sport. No
one said you have to
stick to one routine forever. Based on your targets, you can find a
sport that will help tone the targeted muscles or burn approximately
the same amount of calories as when you were doing your workouts.
Tennis, squash, and badminton are great and enjoyable substitutes.
“I
just had a baby.”
Mothers who undergo Caesarean operations are advised to refrain from
strenuous exercises for about 45-60 days.
However, those who undergo normal deliveries can begin exercising as
early as the third week after childbirth. Otherwise, you’ll run the
risk of retaining the saggy belly pouch that you acquired during
pregnancy.
You don’t have to shed all the gained pounds at once – break down
your objective into smaller subsets to make the tasks more manageable
and to give you a sense of accomplishment as you hurdle each goal.
Remember, it took 9 months for you to gain the weight, so it’s a
tall order to get rid of those pounds in a very short period of time.
“I
don’t have the right exercise equipment.”
This is an impressive try at making an excuse not to exercise, but
you can easily perform a workout even without those expensive
equipments and gadgets you see on the Home Shopping Network or
elsewhere.
You can effectively increase your heart rate just by going up and down
a flight of stairs. You can also use milk jugs filled with
sand to simulate training weights.
And what
about the classic sit-ups and push-ups? They don’t require
any fancy equipment, but we all know how effective they are in toning
our bodies.
