Three Lies You Tell Yourself About Exercise, And Why You’re Wrong

There is meant to be an endorphin rush that comes with exercise. It supposedly makes you feel like you can take on the world, and slowly but surely, you’ll fall in love with exercise.

That’s the theory, anyway. Unfortunately, it’s not always the case in practice. For some people, exercise will always be a mindless drudge that has to be done. It’s not going to be enjoyed. Sweating, turning red, itchy clothing and the occasional pulled muscle- what exactly is there meant to be to love about this? Even if you do get the endorphin rush, is it enough to make up for all the bad stuff?

If you’re in the latter category and see exercise as a necessary evil rather than a fun activity, you’re not alone. Congratulations for at least acknowledging you need to keep fit, which is a huge first step. And so what if you’re never going to be one of those perfect, smiling women on a treadmill, hair bouncing, and skin glowing? You’re not one of those women. Perhaps those women are pod people. You’ve got to do it your way.

The only way to make exercise less of a drain is to make it work for you. Below are some of the reasons people cite for disliking their workout, and of course, some handy solutions to resolve them.

“It’s boring!”

Sure it is, especially if you use a gym. While there are upsides to gym workouts, nothing can quite remove the fact you’re sweating up a storm in a hall of mirrors. You get to climb on a treadmill and go precisely nowhere.

The obvious answer is to go somewhere and run outdoors. If you want to see different sites, online you can find specific running routes designed to keep you occupied.
If, however, the weather is an issue, then you’ve got to find a way to make the gym more entertaining. Taking music is one such option, but it can be near-impossible to drown out the steady thud of dance music at most gyms. Ereaders are a good idea; make sure you enlarge the text so you can see it and still be active.

“It Takes Too Long!”

You can’t help it. You get to 3 pm; you’re falling asleep at your desk, and you need chocolate to keep going. Sated, you consult the back of the packet, still enjoying the taste, and realize it’s a good two hours on an exercise bike to burn off the calories. Nine times out of ten, you’re not going to have time to do that. It begins to feel like a zero sum game. No matter how much you do, it’s never going to be enough.

Considering you could spend your time on things that don’t involve sweat stains and showering with strangers, the gym loses out. If you’re not going to be burning the calories you want to rid yourself of anyway, what’s the point?

Maybe there isn’t one. Maybe you need to learn to focus your workouts, so you are making the absolute most of the time available. Slogging away on exercise equipment is not the way to do this; there’s too little reward for way too much input. You need to look at high-energy bursts of activity that you can pack into a short space of time. A T25 calendar can make this simple. You can also save time by doing it at home, so you’re not having to go back and forth to the gym.

That way, you can enjoy the chocolate binge and know it’s already taken care of- and in the shortest time possible too.

“It Doesn’t Make A Difference!”

This is most often heard if there is a particular area of your body you’re aiming to get in shape. It can be heartbreaking to spend hours trying to solve stomach fat or loosen your thighs, and you still don’t see the results you crave.

It may be that your workout is too general, or it could be too focused on cardio. Improving tone requires muscle work and reps, so just running or cycling isn’t going to cut it. Look for toning stretches and workouts that are perfected for maximum impact on the troublesome area.

If you’re struggling still, consider support belts which can help focus weight loss and tone on a particular area. They may be a little uncomfortable at first, but soon you’ll be wondering how you managed without them.

While your mind may whisper all sorts of arguments against exercise, deep down, you know it’s got to be done. Make a few changes to your routine, try something new, and get going.