How to Exercise When it's the Last Thing You Feel Like Doing!

How true is this for so many of us?! This is a great article recently published by TED talks. They use ideas from psychology, behavioural economics, business and even activism to get you moving, literally!

They highlight 5 common excuses and solutions to tackling them as follows:

Excuse #1: “I don’t have the time to exercise.”
The fix: You’ve got plenty of time; the trick is being intentional about how you use it.
Excuse #2: “I’m just so comfortable at home right now; I’ll start exercising next week.”
The fix: Put yourself in the future.
Excuse #3: “I’d much rather listen to This American Life/watch Netflix/catch up on the news/read Elena Ferrante than go work out.”
The fix: You can do both at the same time.
Excuse #4: “I feel like I’m out of shape, and I dread going to the gym with all those workout fanatics staring at me.”
The fix: People will judge, but you don’t need to be one of them.
Excuse #5: “When I think about working out, I picture myself panting, red-faced and in pain, so I find something else to do.”
The fix: Take a tip from top athletes, and imagine a different scenario.

We’ve added another 3:
Excuse #6: I don’t know what to do
The fix: Decide what area you are targeting, for example, legs, back or full body and use a pre-planned training session. If you don’t have one, invest in getting a unique program that you can follow based on your goals.
Excuse #7: I need motivation and have none at the moment
The fix: in Mel Robbins words “Motivation is BS” remember your fitness goal, and use the 5 second rule, and get going! If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it.
Excuse #8: I’m feeling a bit low and not up to it
The fix: Physical exercise is best for mental health and significant in improving wellbeing physically, mentally and emotionally
Excuse #9: It takes too long
The fix: Use a home work personalised program instead of going to the gym and save time on the commute
Excuse #10: I feel too guilty because I’ve overindulged
The fix: Don’t beat yourself up with guilt, reset and start training.

Photocredit: iStock