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exercise is boring

No Excuses For Parents

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I think I have heard every excuse in the world on why a person can’t workout. Seriously, I could write a book on the subject – 101 Excuses to Not Workout and Other Fun Ways to Tick off Your Trainer. I’m too tired, I’m too busy, I have to cancel our appointment because my son flushed my car keys down the toilet. True story – that one made me giggle for a week. What I’ve noticed in my years of “excuse hearing” is that most excuses come from parents. Now, it’s true,  I don’t have kids, but  I can only imagine what a world filled with diapers, play dates, midnight trips to the ER because someone stuck a toy car up their nose AGAIN, school functions and all the other “perks” of a being a parent would be like. Being a parent, from what I’ve witnessed only, is a tough job. You are constantly running somewhere to pick up someone/something or racing to drop something off for someone who forgot said something and at the end of the day you are exhausted. (I’m exhausted after writing that sentence). It seems like there is never enough hours in a day to do the things that you really have NO energy to do anyways. Well parents, that is the one reason right there why you should make time to workout. Imagine a world where you can take time out of every day to destress, get energized and maybe even have a little peace and quiet to yourself. What if that could be a reality? Well, maybe not the peace and quiet part, but you know where I’m going with this. Taking as little as 30 minutes a day to workout will do wonders for your energy level and mental health. Exercising releases these amazing endorphins that make life’s little stressors easier to handle and gives you more energy to do all the things you want to do in a day. How great would it be if at the end of a long work day you actually had the energy to go outside and play with your kids? Combine the exercising with a healthy diet and you and your kids will both be living a healthier lifestyle that will benefit the whole family. And don’t be selfish and keep the fun of exercising to yourself – get the entire family involved. Take walks or bike rides together, sign up to do a Family Fun Run/Walk or do something as simple as play tag. Starting a fitness routine now will not only benefit you, but it will teach your children the importance of their health as well as yours. Be proactive in your health to ensure that you can have a long, active and healthy life with your children.

STOP THE EXCUSES – EXERCISE IS BORING

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“Working out is too boring.”

This to me is one of the lamest excuses out there. Where do people get the idea that exercise has to take place in a gym, on the same boring piece of equipment, EVERY DAY for 30 to 60 minutes? Let me let you in on a little secret – it doesn’t have to.  If a particular workout is boring to you, then STOP DOING IT. There are a million different activities out there that you can do – don’t just limit yourself to the ones that you despise.

This may come as a shock to you, but exercise can be fun. You just need to find something that you like & look forward to doing. You should be excited about working out. You don’t need to waste valuable time plugging & chugging away on a Stairmaster if you really dread doing it. Find something that motivates you to get moving.

Here are some tips to help you find a workout that you enjoy:

1. Try new classes/exercises. This can be a great way to find what types of exercise you like or dislike. A few months ago a client asked me to go to a pole dancing class. I was positive that it was something that my 2 left feet would hate. To my surprise, I loved the class. I was laughing, having a great time & I got an awesome workout. Try kickboxing, take a Kettlebell class or join in on a Bootcamp session. Who knows? You might just find your new workout passion just by trying a new class.

2. Think outside of the box. If dancing outside in your unitard and leg warmers to Bruce Springsteen gets your blood pumping – then dance away.  Exercise doesn’t have to be limited to the inside of a gym – if you find something that you enjoy & gets you moving, then by all means DO IT.

3. Hire a Trainer. Personal Trainers brains are overflowing with ideas for different types of exercises.  Let your trainer know your likes and dislikes with exercise and they will come up with some new & fun ideas for your next workout.

4. GET EXCITED TO MOVE! If you get excited about a particular workout, chances are you will stick to this routine. Find something that motivates you to want to do your workout. For me, shoes are the key. Every time I buy a new pair of running shoes, I can’t wait to use them. All I want to do is run in my new, cute shoes. (Hey – I’m one of those  girls with a SEVERE love for cute shoes. I can’t help it…I’m a shoe junkie.) I also get uber excited to workout every time I download new songs on my ipod. Nothing beats fresh, new music to help energize your workout. What works for you?

5. Challenge yourself. For those of you out there who have always worked out but you’ve lost your passion for exercise, here’s a tip for you. Challenge yourself. Just because you have always been a runner (or whatever you are into), doesn’t mean you have to be “just a runner. ” for the rest of your life. Try training for a sport that incorporates what you are already doing with something new – like a triathlon or a duathon. Heck, you can even try something completely new – like martial arts.

All in all – your perception of exercise is up to YOU. YOU and ONLY YOU decide what to make of it. If you choose to make it fun, it will be. If you want to keep using the excuse that working out is boring, then that is YOUR CHOICE and you have to live (or not) with it. It’s up to you.