I've heard over and over from friends, family, and all sorts of people, that they don't have the time, money or motivation to work out. Those are very silly excuses in my book. Working out doesn't have to cost you a penny! And time.......well, we will explore that subject.
Let me tell you first about some of the things that I have done. When my husband was stationed in Connecticut, I was a lifeguard on the Navy base there. I was required to swim a minimum of 500 meters everyday to work there. I actually got paid to swim! It was pretty cool. When I decided to move on and pursue other jobs, I would go to the gym on base and workout whenever I had a free day. I would easily work 16 hour days, so getting a full workout on was a challenge at times. When we moved back to Washington, I had a baby and no more free gym access. We couldn't afford a gym membership, so I got the P90X workout videos. It was awesome in many different ways! I didn't have to spend time or gas money to get to a gym, and of course, I didn't need to find a babysitter! Yay! I could workout in the comfort of my living room and not care if anyone was watching me. An hour long P90X video isn't so bad when you get into the habit of it.
My husband had pre-paid a chunk of money for Kung Fu lessons. When he was told by his doctor that he should stop, I picked up the classes for myself. They were not cheap, and I had to use them in one year. So I did. Two, three, and sometimes four times a week. My motivation? Money. If I didn't attend a class, that meant that it was money down the drain. And, it was scheduled. More motivation. If you have a class to go to at a certain time a day, you are more likely to go, especially, if it's already paid for. I highly recommend fitness classes. I can honestly say that I was in the best shape of my life when taking Kung Fu. Those were the most intense workouts ever! I'd still be doing it if we could afford it.
When the pre-paid classes had run out, I decided to take my son on stroller rides around our neighborhood. I'd walk to the mall and the lake and the library. Usually 6 or 7 miles a day. If I wanted a little more of a workout, I'd pick up the pace and walk as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I hurt my foot from walking too much. I was told by my doctor to cut back on my walking. I was bummed. But I'd do some P90X workouts to help out. Then the weather got cold and rainy. And I didn't have a car. I was kind of depressed about it and lost some motivation. I found myself going on Facebook a lot and then watching TV. So I made a new rule for myself. I will not log on to Facebook or turn on the TV until I've done my P90X workout for the day. That works! I have more motivation and feel great! I always feel better about myself when I'm working out. I hope those ideas are helpful, but I have other ideas too. Keep reading!
Don't have the time? Do you work full time? Are you a parent? Do you have other obligations that you have to attend to daily? Don't worry, there is hope for even the busiest person! Do you have lunch breaks? Do you watch TV? That's wonderful! Before you go on your lunch break, why not do 10 push ups? Or even 10 sit ups? How how about 20 jumping jacks? Working out doesn't have to take you an hour. Or even a half hour. Do you have 5 minutes? Of course you do! Somewhere in your hectic schedule, we can all find 5 minutes. Make those minutes count! Get your heart rate up! Jog around your office. Run up and down the stairs. Park far away from the office and walk a few more steps to get inside. Take the stairs and avoid the elevator if you can. There are so many ways to get your body in motion. If you are watching TV, then you have time to workout. Decide what is more important. Seeing that show, or seeing a better looking you. But if you aren't willing to give up that show, then do push ups during the commercials!
Don't have the money? Not a problem. All of the exercises I just mentioned, well, they are free last time I checked. So, maybe you have the time, but can't afford to go to the gym. Great! You can jog around your block! It's raining and cold? No problem! Have a treadmill? Well, there you go! Have a mall close to your home? Go powerwalking around the inside of the mall. Got kids? Take them with you! Put them in a stroller and walk around with them. Have some workout videos? That is wonderful! Plug those suckers in and get your butt moving!
Are you injured? Ask your doctor what you can do. If you injured your legs, you can get a pair of weights and get pumping! There are many possibilities to finding ways to work out with an injury. But please, don't do anything that will further injure yourself. Be smart! Working an injured body part can make things worse if you aren't careful.
No motivation? No problem! Do not turn on that TV or surf the web until you've done a workout. If it's a 5 minute workout or a 2 hour workout, that's great. Something is always better than nothing. Just get your body moving. Don't make it a big deal. It's not. Don't overdo it. Just do it! Reward yourself. When you hit a certain weight loss goal, buy yourself a nice dress to show off your new body! Go on a mini vacation. Go to a special restaurant. Whatever you do, make the goal attainable and reasonable. But when you meet those goals, you deserve a little treat. Make it fun! You can also workout with a friend. Friends can make the workouts more enjoyable and they can help motivate you.
I hope some of these ideas will help you in your fitness goals. And remember, it's never too late to get started. I don't care how old you are, there is something you can do. I will always remember this man in his late 90's who would come to the pool where I worked and swim several times a week. I don't care how out of shape you are, you can always change. Watch the biggest loser if you need motivation! Great show! It is so inspirational. If you have physical limitations, there are ways to get around them. I've seen guys with no legs run marathons with prosthetic legs. There is a famous surfer girl who surfs with one arm. There is even a movie about her. There are people that have had horrible paralyzing accidents who have taken years of physical therapy to relearn to walk. If they can do that, then what is your excuse? Everyone can exercise. There is never an excuse.
