Stop making excuses and get exercising

Stop making excuses and get exercisingHad a busy day? Need to wash your hair? Can’t find your trainers or have have a headache? If you want to get into shape and improve your health for summer then you need to put aside those excuses and start getting motivated.

If you consistently find yourself making excuses when it comes to exercise then below are some great tips which even the biggest gym-o-phobic couldn’t complain about:

Excuse one: ‘I just haven’t got the time’

This is the oldest line in the book. If we are really honest with ourselves we all have plenty of time to exercise we just like to think we are ‘too’ busy because we are unwilling to sacrifice some of our free time (probably spent watching TV or at the pub) so that we can make it a priority.

Exercise doesn’t have to be all or nothing and you can still have a life outside of your fitness regime. If you are concerned you will struggle to fit in everything you want to do then try splitting your exercise into chunks. A study from John Hopkins School of Medicine revealed that women who exercised for 10 minutes 3 times a day lost a larger amount of weight than those exercising for 40 minute chunks.

Another tip is to wake up a little bit earlier. Understandably when you come home in the evening you may just want to relax so exercise can seem unappealing and tiresome. Instead why not consider a morning workout, swim, run etc?

According to research those who exercise in the morning are 90 per cent more likely to stick with it and also burn approximately three times more fat. The science behind the research states that because your body burns carbohydrates whilst you sleep, exercise in the morning means it has to tap into fat reserves for energy.

Excuse two: ‘I’m tired and unmotivated’

Writing down what you want to achieve increases your chances of reaching your goals. Robert Bray, a personal trainer, has suggested keeping an exercise journal containing realistic goals and their deadlines. It may be that you want to loose a specific amount of weight for your wedding or a holiday, so write this down as an end goal so you are constantly reminded of your motivation.

In addition you could try to recruit a friend. Apparently working out with a friend really enhances your chances of sticking with it and produces a higher number of endorphins than when you exercise on your own.

Excuse three: ‘I can’t afford the gym’

There is no denying that gyms are expensive and often involve difficult to terminate minimum terms. However, there are plenty of other options which are very low cost or free. For example, skipping is a great calorie burner so purchase an inexpensive skipping rope, pop yourself in front of the TV or in the garden and do five blocks of three minutes skipping (this will burn up to 600 calories an hour). Other good alternatives are power walking, cycling or jogging.

For more tips and the original article please visit All About You.

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Written by Emma Hilton
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Written by Emma Hilton
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