Ban the excuses!
Top exercise psychologists explain the five most common excuses we all use for not exercising – and how to overcome them today.
1. “I can’t be bothered”
Laziness and a lack of motivation is the main reason you’re not exercising, according to Jeremy Rolleston, a peak performance coach and author of A Life that Counts. The cure? Finding motivation from within. Sport and exercise psychologist Robert Brown explains this phenomenon as ‘internal motivation’ and describes it as the personal connection you have with what you’re doing. Think about it: how emotionally connected are you to your workout? Are you having fun? If not, it might be time to make some changes in order to get a positive emotional response so that you want to do it more. Alternatively, there’s ‘external motivation’. “It might be the dress you want to fit into for an upcoming event or the encouragement you get from your trainer,” Brown says.
Wondering which is best? Both Rolleston and Brown say it’s the internal motivation that leads to long-term results, as you are less reliant on other people, events or environments.
2. “I’m not good at it”
If you’re making lame excuses to your friends (and yourself) like “I need to babysit my goldfish” or “I can’t find my keys”, then there might be something deeper lurking below your words. According to Brown, these types of excuses often mask failure avoidance – that is, if you don’t try in the first place then any lack of success is out of your control and you’re off the hook.
If this is you, it’s time to confront your fears. Take it one step at a time and make an effort to inject some fun into your routine. “Exercise shouldn’t be some boring drudgery you feel you have to do… Do it with friends, do it in environments that give you energy and give yourself some rewards along the way,” Rolleston says.
3. “I don’t know what I’m working towards”
“The best goals to set are SMARTER (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, Timed, Evaluated and Rewarded/Revised), as well as focusing on the processes rather than the outcomes,” Brown explains. In non-psych speak, this means setting goals that are easy to measure, realistic and flexible – like completing a 10km run on this date in this time with a plan of attack – and focusing on your current skill set, rather than fixating on your ultimate end point. The golden rule: balance! If all else fails, Rolleston is a fan of personal trainers as they make you more accountable and help make your first goal more achievable. “Once you achieve the [first goal], it will give you that added impetus and motivation to keep going,” he says.
4. “I don’t have time”
“Stop thinking about it in terms of being time rich or time poor and start thinking about being decision smart,” Brown suggests. “In other words, it’s not about time management. It’s about choice management.” So, multitask where you can and invite friends to exercise with you, or take advice from Rolleston and diarise it into your week. That way if you really want it to happen, it always will.
5. “I’m too tired”
There’s a difference between being too lazy and too exhausted to get out of bed. If you don’t have the energy required to exercise, it’s time to look at your diet. “It’s the fuel for you to train well and get the nourishment you need to recover efficiently,” Rolleston says.
Look at what you’re eating and listen to how your body feels after each meal. The more you tune into your body’s needs and eat accordingly, the more efficiently it will run.
And if you’re feeling really blah, start small. No-one is going to feel pumped about the idea of a 10km run after a long day at work, so just aim to get around the block. Once you’re up and out, you’ll be more energised and much more likely to keep going, and that workout will be done before you know it!
CREDIT: AREMEDIASYNDICATION.COM.AU/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA