Focus on Wellness - No More Excuses!

"I'm too busy to exercise!"  "I'm too tired."  "I have bad knees."  "I can't afford a gym/trainer/exercise equipment."  "It's too cold/hot to exercise outside!"  "I need to lose weight before I can exercise."   "There are no gyms/parks/trails in my neighborhood."

The excuses are endless, not insurmountable!

We all face barriers to physical activity.  Understanding common barriers and creating strategies to overcome them may help you make physical activity part of your daily life.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, social, geographical and environmental barriers all influence an individual's level of physical activity.  Below, we identify some of these barriers and offer some suggestions for overcoming them.

Lack of Time

  • Identify available time slots.  Monitor your daily activities for one week.  Identify at least three 30-minute time slots you could use for physical activity, or identify three 10-minute slots each day.
  • Add physical activity to your daily routine.  For example, walk or ride your bike to work or shopping, walk the dog, exercise while you watch t.v., park farther away from your destination, etc.
  • Make time for physical activity.  For example, walk, jog, or swim during your lunch hour, or take fitness breaks instead of coffee breaks.
  • Select activities requiring minimal time, such as walking, jogging, or stair climbing.

Social Influence

  • Explain your interest in physical activity to friends, family, and co-workers.  Ask them to support your efforts.
  • Invite friends, family members, and coworkers to exercise with you.  Plan social activities involving exercise.  Ask co-workers to walk with you during lunch instead of going out to eat together.
  • Develop new friendships with physically active people.  Join a group, such as the YMCA or a hiking club.

Lack of Energy

  • Schedule physical activity for times in the day or week when you feel energetic.
  • Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will increase your energy level; then try it.
  • Start small - just put on your shoes and walk out the door.  If you can do that, you'll find the energy to walk for 30 minutes.

Lack of Motivation

  • Plan ahead.  Make physical activity a regular part of your daily or weekly schedule and write it on your calendar.
  • Invite a friend to exercise with you on a regular basis and write in on both of your calendars.
  • Join an exercise group or class.
  • Share your goals with your friends, family members and co-workers and ask them to encourage you to meet those goals.

Fear of Injury

  • Learn how to warm up and cool down to prevent injury.
  • Learn how to exercise appropriately considering your age, fitness level, skill level, and health status.
  • Choose activities involving minimum risk.

Lack of Skill

  • Select activities requiring no new skills, such as walking, climbing stairs, or jogging.
  • Exercise with friends who are at the same skill level as you are.
  • Find a friend who is willing to teach you some new skills.

Lack of Resources

  • Select activities that require minimal facilities or equipment, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or calisthenics.
  • Identify inexpensive, convenient resources available in your community (community education programs, park and recreation programs, worksite programs, etc.)
  • Check to see if your health insurance company offers discounts for gyms or exercise programs.

Weather Conditions

  • Develop a set of regular activities that are always available regardless of weather (indoor cycling, aerobic dance, indoor swimming, calisthenics, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking, dancing, etc.).
  • Look on outdoor activities that depend on weather conditions (cross-country skiing, outdoor swimming, outdoor tennis, etc.) as "bonuses" - extra activities possible when weather and circumstances permit.  Don't rely on these activities for daily exercise.

Travel

  • Put a jump rope in your suitcase and use it.
  • Walk the halls and climb the stairs in hotels.
  • Stay in places with swimming pools or exercise facilities.
  • Join the YMCA or YWCA (ask about reciprocal membership agreements).
  • Visit the local shopping mall and walk for half an hour or more.
  • Bring a small tape recorder and your favorite aerobic exercise tape.

Family Obligations

  • Trade babysitting time with a friend, neighbor, or family member who also has small children.
  • Exercise with the kids - go for a walk together, play tag or other running games, get an aerobic dance or exercise tape for the kids and exercise together.
  • Hire a babysitter and look at the cost as a worthwhile investment in your physical and mental health.
  • Jump rope, do calisthenics, ride a stationary bicycle, or use other home gymnasium equipment while the kids are busy playing or sleeping.
  • Try to exercise when the kids are not around (e.g., during school hours or nap time).
  • Encourage exercise facilities to provide child care services.

Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.