Exercise Guru Dawn Braud talks about why most of us DON'T workout on a regular basis - Fitness

Click here to listen to Dawn Braud talk about the top reasons we don't exercise.

What are some of the top reasons we don’t exercise???

1. You don’t have time. People who exercise on a regular basis don't have any more time than you do; they just know it’s a priority.  Make it one of yours and adjust your day/time so you can make this happen.  If you wait for your life to “settle down” so you can exercise, it may not happen.  Start now.

2. You can’t seem to make the commitment. Set the bar lower.  Allow yourself to count any physical activity as good (it is).  Look for any way to be active then add more time or different forms of exercise as you can.  If you could examine the reasons why you were not able to stick to exercise in the past, you may find some areas to work on – is there a trend you could change? What hurdles could you avoid next time?

3. Exercise makes me sore and it hurts.  Then you need to re-evaluate what you are doing. Proper technique and appropriate exercise intensity levels are important considerations.  While mild soreness is normal, exercise should not hurt or cause you pain.  If it does, stop and ask someone who is in the fitness field for advice.

4. You can’t stay motivated. This is a tough one because exercise can be boring.  The best approach is to try lots of forms of exercise, and try to find one that you think is fun in some way – dance, walk, play a sport, lift weights, and get a buddy to join you.  You may also reward yourself as a means of motivating, just not with food.  Reward yourself every four weeks for sticking to your exercise plan for example. Make a list of affordable (and healthy rewards).

5. You really just hate to exercise.
Well, guess what? You may not learn to love it.  The trick is to keep trying new ways to be active until you develop some choices that appeal to you.  If that does not work, then consider exercise just one of those things you have to do whether you grow to love it or not.  Do you love to brush your teeth?

6. You cannot afford a gym membership or a trainer
The good news is exercise is basically free.  While you may need a good pair of shoes or a decent swimsuit if you want to swim, you do not need a gym or a trainer to be active.  The advantages of a gym and a trainer are you have more options for exercise and hopefully some expertise to guide you.  There are good websites and DVD’s you can use to workout at home.

7. You are not seeing your body change, so you quit.
This is a tough one because in reality it takes a very long time to see changes on the scale, includes and your shape.  The way to make this happen though is to eat nutrient dense food, less food, exercise often (lift weights and do cardio) and then CHANGE your workouts in some fashion about every six weeks to avoid plateaus.

8. You're not seeing any changes in your body.
Not losing weight fast enough? Welcome to reality. You don't put weight on overnight and it won't come off that quickly either. Once you start exercising, give your body time to react. It could take up to 12 weeks before you start seeing some real changes in your body. In the meantime, try to enjoy the other benefits of exercise.

9. You don't are not sure if you are exercising “right.”
There is more information than ever, so learning requires a little research on your end. Hire a trainer, purchase a DVD or two, look at fitness websites and many of them have workouts you can watch on your computer (well, you watch and exercise at the same time.

10. I want to lose some weight before I start exercising.
There is plenty of research that validates how effective exercise is for losing weight  but equally as important in keeping the weight off.  Sometimes this reason is expressed by people who are very overweight and exercise is uncomfortable. In this case, it is best to start with short, easy bouts of movement then commit to something more challenging that your joints can tolerate.