If you get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days per week, raise your hand. Go ahead. Nobody can see you. If you cannot raise your hand, know that you’re not alone. Your average person on the street gets little to no exercise on a daily basis. Can we be honest about that?
As long as we are being honest, let us also talk about the reasons we do not exercise. A willingness to admit what is really going on is the foundation of finding ways to correct the problem. And that is assuming we actually want the problem corrected. There are some of us who are perfectly content in the knowledge that we do not exercise enough.
We Don’t Have the Time
There are as many reasons for not exercising as there are for riding a bike, running around the block, or doing calisthenics. One of the most frequently expressed is a lack of time. We are all so busy with the many responsibilities of daily life. Between work, the commute, and taking care of things at home, who has time to get in 30 minutes of exercise?
The good folks at Mcycle, a Salt Lake City, UT indoor cycling studio, say that one way to overcome a lack of time is to actually sign up for organized classes. Signing up and paying for classes puts them on a schedule. It forces you to make time for exercise. And when you make time versus trying to find the time, you are more likely to follow through.
Exercise Is Uncomfortable
The second reason for not exercising regularly – finding it uncomfortable – is one we do not like to talk about even though it is very real. And by the way, finding exercise uncomfortable is neither abnormal nor wrong. It is completely natural for the body to rebel against push-ups, squat thrusts, and the like.
The secret to overcoming this particular problem is exercising mind over body. In other words, the body can do a lot of amazing things when driven by a mind determined to do them. So perhaps the first step in establishing an exercise regimen is working on ways to strengthen your mind.
Other Reasons for Not Exercising
Not having the time and not wanting to be uncomfortable top the list of reasons people do not exercise regularly. But they are by no means the only two. Here are a few more:
- Fear of Being Judged – It is normal to go into a gym or cycling studio and feel like all eyes are on you. You do not want to be judged for your ability, or lack thereof.
- Poor Body Image – Hand-in-hand with the fear of being judged is having a poor body image. Some people do not like to exercise in public simply because they are ashamed of what they look like.
- Lack of Motivation – Motivation is a big part of following through on a commitment to regular exercise. If you lack motivation, you are not likely to stick to your commitment.
- Lack of Knowledge – As hard as it is to imagine, some people don’t exercise simply because they do not know they need to. They don’t know that exercise is necessary to maintain good health.
- Limited Finances – Financial constraints can prevent people from signing up for exercise programs. Still, there are ways to exercise for free.
Honesty is the best policy when it comes to understanding why most of us do not exercise enough. If we are willing to be honest about it, perhaps we will be more willing to change our circumstances.
