Great tips to avoid the exercise excuses
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Today’s featured article over at WW website is about keeping your workout schedule and avoid excuses. I am the Queen of Excuses but have been doing MUCH better about avoiding them. Here are a few of their tips that I had already implemented that have infact helped me to be better about my workouts.
Buy figure-flattering workout clothing
You don’t want to look like a sack of potatoes when you’re exercising. Spend money on well-designed, flattering and supportive gym clothes; you’ll be more motivated to work out.
Title Nine has great workout bras and garments which have really helped me be more comfortable during my workouts. Plus they did a fitting to help me wear just the right size.
Have a specially designated drawer for fitness gear
When you’re in hurry, the last thing you want is to be hunting around for your gym socks. Keep all your exercise clothes in a special drawer so you can find them quickly.
I had to do this once I realized that I had so much workout gear. It was all over in different drawers and I had to rummage each time. SO I reorganized and made one drawer for all the fitness specific gear. It has really helped when I need to grab and go. But I think I need a bigger drawer now.
Leave your gym bag by the door
Leaving your gym bag by the door serves two purposes: one, so you always know where it is; and two, it serves as a gentle reminder that an exercise session might be due
I always pack my bag with fresh gear before I go to bed and have it by my purse, ready to take with me when I go to work. There have been a few times that I still come home without using my well stocked bag, but at least that wasn’t the excuse at the time.
Put your gym clothes straight into the wash
And last but not least, when you get back from the gym or pool, put your dirty clothes straight in the washer. Nothing is guaranteed to put you off exercising more than having to rummage around in the laundry basket for a semi-clean pair of gym socks.
I don’t really do this as much as I should. But I have also been haunting the thrift stores in order to buy more clothes so I don’t run out of workout gear. This has been affordable and helpful as I change sizes.
Personally, my biggest tip (which wasn’t really on their list) is making plans to exercise with other people. This has been my biggest excuse avoiding technique. I am not the type to be late or cancel plans with friends or family. SO if I have a “date” to meet up with someone, I WILL do it. and they won’t let me get out of it! Also, if I PAY someone (like my running coach or personal trainer) I will go no matter what! So that works for me too. If only I could afford to pay someone 5 days I week I would be really fit!
So what’s your Excuse?
A wonderful post. Thanks for these tips.
This is so great! Thanks for posting this… I totally agree with workout buddies.. I swear that if my core group of Sweat365 friends didn’t workout with me I would struggle to make the workouts; especially the ones at 5:30am. If someone else can commit to being there, then so can I..
fitness friends are good!
Great tips!
I use my cellphone as my alarm clock, and on days when I’m running in the morning, I leave it on the other side of the room, with all my running kit laid out on the floor in front of it.
Love the “lay out your clothes the night before” trick. I started doing that so I wouldn’t disturb my wife at 5am looking for clothes, but it is a total motivator. Also, if you run in the morning, make a pact with yourself that you will decide the NIGHT BEFORE whether you will exercise or not. This helps prevent the, “I hit the snooze too many times” excuse. I did this when I started exercising again and it works like a charm.
Great tips! I think participating in the Brooks challenges has been good for me, too. I can’t wait to log my workouts and see where I rank. I’m certain I am not going to win, but I still want to do as well as I can.
For after work, I bring my running gear and change into it before I get in the car to leave. That way I can either run at work (there’s a relatively un-horrible five mile loop), or can stop off on the way home if the traffic is heavy. No excuses!
I also run places. Last night’s run was out to meet my husband for dinner. I dropped the vehicle off with him, said “I’ll meet you in an hour at the restaurant” and went for a run. Obviously we weren’t dining at The Ritz, but
that’s fine.