Why aren’t you exercising? If you fit into the category of sedentary individuals, you no doubt have a plethora of excuses for not exercising while increasing your risk for many health related maladies associated with this type of lifestyle. It’s time to dissect your excuses and analyze the various components of your inactivity. It is recommended by the American Heart Association (AMA) that adults get 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity at least 5 days per week.
According to Dr. James Rippe, associate Professor of cardiology at Tufts University and author of High Performance Health and Heart Health for Dummies, the number one reason for non-compliance to an active lifestyle is “there isn’t enough time in the day to exercise”. If you believe there’s not enough time there won’t be. Your desire to exercise or not to exercise will determine your results.
Dr. James Rippe interviewed 120 CEOs and found that 3/4 of them exercised at least 3 times per week. These guys have a very busy schedule, but Dr. James Rippe believes we make time for what we care about. Try breaking your workout into two or three 10 to 15 minute segments per day. The benefits are the same while allowing you to squeeze in smaller manageable segments each day.
“I hate exercising” is another popular excuse to remain anchored to the couch. Even the world’s least athletic individual can find a form of movement he enjoys. Walking (the dog), stretching, dancing, golf, chores, playing with your children, all of these activities provide health benefits. If you are just a little more athletic than this individual, finding an activity you enjoy shouldn’t be too hard. It is important to find activities you enjoy to inspire compliance.
“I have a family to take care of”. Nice try, but a healthy lifestyle should encompass the entire family. If it’s the children who are limiting your ability to exercise, include them in daily activities. The AMA recommends that children get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. Walking, bike riding, playing catch, jump rope, ball games, going to the park, the activities you can engage in with your children are almost limitless.
Participating in physical activity with your children will help the entire family meet activity requirements. Schedule weekend activities such as organized walks or rides, theme parks, or sporting activity lessons to add variety to your activities. Additionally, poor health will certainly lead to limited family activities. Not cool!
“I can’t afford to belong to a gym”. Exercising at a gym is only one of many modes of exercise available. Calisthenics, walking, jogging, swimming, hiking, bike riding, tennis, basketball, volleyball, skipping rope, yoga, dancing, gardening, etc., the list goes on and on. It this is your only justification for living a sedentary life; you have plenty of options for leading an active lifestyle.
You can always find a reason not to include physical activity into your lifestyle. The consequences are far too serious to wait until they manifest into health issues. Begin today to incorporate physical activity into your daily regimen. The shift from sedentary to activity takes only one day (at a time); with consistency results will follow!
There are far too many activity options to let excuses derail your fitness endeavors.
“Someday is not a day of the week”. -Author Unknown
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