I don't know how to start this thread. Its my first one that I have ever written on this site. Why is it so easy to think of excuses rather than doing the excused???
These are my top ten excuses for not going to the gym:
1. Too tired
2. No clean gym clothes
3. Don't have the time
4. Rather sleep in
5. Really hungry
6. Don't feel like it
7. Too sore
8. Just want to relax
9. Gym is too busy
10. Its too early/late
I use the "gym is too busy" one from time to time. My gym is a 25 min walk (25 both ways) away from my house, so it's annoying to go all the way there and get wet in rainy, chilly weather only to find that all of the machines I want to use are unavailable. My gym doesn't have any kind of signup/reservation system or circuit system for the machines, so sometimes it can be really hard to get a chance on certain machines if the gym is busy and sometimes people will dominate machines for hours or I'll walk away to do something else for 30 seconds, then I look back and see a free treadmill but 2 seconds later someone else is on it. However, if I'm being realistic, that kind of ultra-busy situation has probably only happened to me maybe 20% of the times I go to the gym (and I've been hundreds of times). Most of the time I build-up the "it's too busy" thing in my head as far worse than it actually is, and if I force myself to go anyways I'll find that it's not busy at all or no where near as busy as I built it up to be in my head beforehand. So that's how I know it's more of an excuse I fall back on than an actual obstacle.
There are a bunch of things that can help to motivate me to go to the gym. Buying a new workout top, something that's cute and colourful but comfy can really motivate me because I want to wear it but I won't let myself wear it unless I go to the gym. I'm not talking about expensive lululemon gear (although lulu is gorgeous, I can't afford much of it), but just something under 20 bucks from Walmart, Zellers, Giant Tiger, Costco, whatever. A new pair of running shoes can be good motivation too. Again, you can get decent runners at Wal Mart for 30$, obviously they're not as good quality or long-lasting as adidas or nike or something, but a new pair of runners kind of gives me a "fresh start" feeling. A fun, new workout playlist for your ipod can be great too.
My gym is located inside of a large grocery store, so I often buy a healthy, fun "reward" on my way out. Some fresh cut-up fruit that is a fruit I don't eat all the time, a unique salad, a new flavour of yougrt, a larabar, some flavoured nuts (Blue Diamond yeah!), the fancy flavoured hummus from the deli, string cheese, something like that. I know a lot of people are against using food as a reward, but personally I find that it works really well for me after I've been to the gym because it actually forces me to eat healthy. If I'm all sore and tired from two hours at the gym, there's no way in **** that I'm going to throw away all the time I just invested working out by buying junk to eat, but it's nice and fun to grab something healthy like cut-up mango chunks. Going to the gym dramatically improves my willpower when it comes to over-eating, because every time I'm about to make a bad food choice, I just think "don't throw away everything you burned at the gym".
You aren't the only one! I make all those excuses too but I also have to add that my gym is across town and I already drive so much for work that I cant afford to be burning the gas since the prices at the pump are just skyrocketing.
Even though I don't have to go to a gym, and I do my cardio at home with my Kinect, I have tons of excuses:
- I need to get to the bank today.
- I need to call Accentus (company I contract out for) about this or that.
- It's too late.
- I slept in.
- The dog needs some training.
- I need to make food for work tonight.
- I'm still sore from yesterday.
- If I don't stray of my diet I can avoid 1 day of exercise.
- It's too rainy out.
- It's too hot out.
- My runners don't fit well (it's true, they hurt after about 5 min, I really need to get new ones).
- I can't find my comfy pants.
- I don't want people to see me in my work out pants.
- I'm not feeling well.
All very wonderful excuses that I am trying very hard to break and kick aside. My problem is that I am inherently lazy, and would prefer to NOT do the exercise than do it.
I always do This! Recently I've been stopping because I know I need to do it. Sometimes it is like work- I don't always want to go, but I have to o it and I always enjoy it when I'm there.
My top excuses are always that I don't have time, but my answer to that is if I have time for gossip girl then I have time for the gym
and my other is I'm tired, but my answer to that is I'm tired because I haven't been to the gym
Lately my excuse for not going to the gym is I have a second job to go to and I'd rather go home for a nap between jobs instead of going to the gym. True story! Like today I have at least a 3 hour gap before I have to go to work at 5:30...you know what I'm going to do...go for a nap. lol Actually I might go to chapters to see if I can find Bob's damn DVD but still
I try so hard to budget time for the gym, and I succeed 85% of the time. But a lot of those successes were only so by the skin of my teeth as I rush to get to work.
My favorite excuses:
1: (with a bullet baby, BAM!) I don't have enough time left before work.
2: I feel drained already.
3: If I eat right it means I don't have to go.
4: I just ate/drank and I don't want to have trouble on the treadmill.
I find that working out until 30 minutes before work and grabbing a shower/changing/talking to my boyfriend and heading in is what I do the most, but the really nice days are when I get up earlier in the day and I have time to go thrash it at the gym, come home, shower and then nap for an hour. This makes me a relaxed, satisfied gym-goer and is the best reward for a well planned day ever.
Last edited by fromthebox; 04-20-2011 at 09:46 AM.
I am so frustrated with myself, i've recently put on 20 lbs...and feel disgusting. Nothing fits, and i have thousands of dollars in just jeans alone! I got into a relationship and stopped going to the gym...eating good...i'm just plain lazy now.
I used to get dressed to what i wanted to wear, now its to what fits. I feel like i have no girlfriends anymore to hang or go workout with. I feel like i'm stuck.
I do the same things with the excuses and I think ya'll have covered them pretty well....lol I don't even have to drive anywhere to put in a good workout and I still come up with excuses to make myself feel better about not exercising. It's something I know that I have to work through and most of the time I catch myself and make myself do it regardless of the reason, but sometimes I do slip. Its always a constant battle at this point, and maybe someday it will be a little easier, who knows. I always feel amazing after working-out, so I just need to focus on the results!!
oh man i always have some excuses, like two hours ago i wanted to go for a walk but i didn't because that would mean that i have to change clothes and that takes time :/ then i have nothing to wear excuse, then i tell myself oh well i'll go in the morning for a run but then i sleep in, but mostly i'm too embarassed to be seen alone outside and exercisizng. it's turning into phobia. i got a new bike, ellyptical, new dvds for workout but i don't use any of them because i'm too embarassed to be seen or caught by my family. but it's all in my head. bottom line is that i'm just lazy
Last edited by missunshine; 04-20-2011 at 03:32 PM.
I am so glad that I had the opportunity to just vent about the stupid excuses I make up. I'm glad I'm not the only one. When I think about it now, retrospectively, I never really regret going to the gym. To be honest I am just lazy and need to set some priorities for myself. Its funny, I was talking to a co-worker today and she had some really good excuses that I thought I would include because they were funny
1. The frozen yogurt shop will be closed when I am done working out.
2. My favorite TV show is on (even though I have Tivo).
3. I don't have a water bottle.
4. My couch is more comfortable then a cycling seat.
Im having the same issue somewhat. I can get to the gym with no problem. I love going to the gym. It's soooo hard for me to stay on a machine. I get sooo bored or tired or both. I just hate to move, but I want to drop this weight lol go figure. So yes I push myself and try to come up with things to read and think about. I really need to get me a mp3 player.
Excuses
