Exercise Excuse Busters . . .
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| Tue, 09-12-2006 - 3:19pm |
Banish the excuses and find time to get moving
Robin Summerfield
Calgary Herald; with files from CanWest News Service
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Victoria's married to Brad, who had a fling with Sharon, who's married to Nick, who slept with Phyllis, whose teenage son Daniel was wrongly accused of murder.
For Calgarians Dana Heise and Shelley Fried, the over-the-top plots on The Young and the Restless provide strong motivation to get sweaty.
Watching the soap opera has become a ritual when they hit the cardio machines together at the Mount Royal College fitness centre. The co-workers use the daytime drama -- tuned in on televisions above the bank of treadmills, stair machines, elliptical trainers and exercise bikes -- to tune out while they work out.
"It's a mindless escape for us," says Heise, marketing co-ordinator for the college's recreation programs.
For the past four years, the exercise buddies have also relied upon one another to short-circuit the part of their personalities that come up with reasons -- like we all do -- not to exercise.
"She keeps me motivated. She keeps me focused and she gets me to go," says Heise of her workout partnership with Fried, the college's intramural co-ordinator.
On the days one partner doesn't feel like lacing up to hit the gym, the other one becomes the motivator. And vice versa.
They're a perfect example of excuse busting.
Making excuses not to exercise -- I'm too tired, I'm too busy, I don't have time, it's too hot, too cold, too rainy, too snowy, too nice -- is common. But even the best excuses don't outweigh the benefits of exercise in the long run, the experts say.
Personal trainers, kinesiologists, sports psychologists, coaches and fitness instructors have long studied and observed the excuses problem and, in turn, tried to come up with solutions, tricks and techniques to silence the inner voice that compels people to stay still instead of moving their bodies.
With that in mind, here are a few tips from the pros on how to get organized and get exercising without excuses.
With a new school year underway this week, fitting exercise into a busy family schedule can be a real challenge for parents. Linda Gee-Hesketh, a kinesiologist and personal trainer in Calgary, suggests making your fall schedule as simple as possible and fitting in exercise like any other responsibility. Set realistic, clear goals that are attainable and worth reaching, and reward yourself for success, she says.
"Goals help us measure and organize our energies and abilities," Gee-Hesketh says. "The goal is not intensity or volume of work, but consistency."
Excuses can creep in, take control and derail fitness progress because people often lack clarity in the goal, says Gee-Hesketh, owner of Human Factors Fitness & Lifestyle Coaching.
She tells her clients to look at their fitness goals through three lenses: A telescope for the future or long-term picture; a wide angle to provide context from day to day; and a microscope for the small details, like what time and how long can you work out on each day, keeping in mind work and family time.
Set short-term goals that are "realistic in the context of what is going on in your life," says the 42-year-old.
After that, it's time to get busy exercising, Gee-Hesketh says.
"It's a question of discipline and focus, and we just need to build a habit and then it becomes easy," says Gee-Hesketh.
A busy mother of three, she uses this trick: if she finds herself fishing for excuses not to workout, she tells herself to exercise for 20 minutes and quit after that if she doesn't want to continue. The trick has saved many workouts, she says.
Still struggling with silencing the exercise excuses? You're not alone.
"Even elite athletes make excuses," says Jeanne Murdock, a personal trainer, health and nutrition consultant and author of The Every Excuse in the Book Book, How to Benefit from Exercising by Overcoming Your Excuses (BeanFit Publishing, 2005).
For each of the 120 excuses in the book, the 37-year-old offers a counter argument that isn't sugar-coated. Murdock, who lives in Paso Robles, Calif., pulls no punches: "It's just so easy to make excuses and we've become apathetic."
Over her 14-year career as a fitness trainer, she has heard every excuse in the book, so to speak.
The funniest and craziest excuse for not working out? One client told Murdock his toupee might fall off, so working out was definitely off, too.
Toupees aside, to motivate yourself, think about how you will feel after working out and how not working out will force you to work harder next time to prevent deconditioning, she says.
Still need more motivation to get moving? Try music.
People who listen to music enjoy exercise more than non-listeners, so they're more motivated to exercise and exercise longer, according to a U.S. study on the effects of music on exercise.
Well chosen music can help people maintain their level of intensity, especially during cardio workouts like an aerobics class, step class or bike riding, says Wendy Rodgers, an exercise psychologist at the University of Alberta's faculty of physical education and recreation.
"It helps you to step the right number of times per minute or to pedal your bike so the down stroke keeps in time with the beat," she explains. But the person has to be comfortable working out at that intensity, and the less fit you are, the slower the pace you're comfortable with.
And if the promise of a good Metallica or Madonna track doesn't inspire, enlist some real live, breathing help.
Find an exercise partner like Fried and Heise did.
As co-workers, the pair have a partnership that works well with their schedules. They meet at lunch time three times a week for a workout, mixing it up with cardio and weights.
The duo have committed to fitness and to each other. And far more than indulging in a trashy soap, the pair find motivation in each other and in the importance of not letting their partner down.
As Fried says of Heise: "She stops me from falling off the wagon."
Wanted: Workout Buddy
It's no mystery that exercising with someone else is a strong motivator in getting fit, staying fit and sticking to workouts.
But just where can you find a workout buddy?
Online, of course.
Websites like rockclimbing.com, exercisefriends.com and even craigslist.org are the newest way to find a workout partner to help you go mano a mano in the battle of the bulge.
Here's how the sites work: People sign up for membership -- which is usually free -- and post an ad seeking a partner. They describe what activities and exercise they like to do, what kind of partner they want and how often they want to workout. Those interested can fire off an e-mail to a potential partner via the site and wait for a response.
Membership on many of the sites is free and anyone over age 18 can post an ad on these online bulletin boards.
While there were many postings looking for Calgary and area climbing partners on rockclimbing.com, exercisefriends.com and craigslist.org had just a handful of locals looking for partners.
Finding a workout buddy via the Internet doesn't come without risks.
Like online dating, people often exaggerate or even lie about themselves. Use caution.
These overstatements are less than ideal when dating, but can be potentially life-threatening if you're climbing or doing other sports where trusting the skill of your partner is just as important as sound equipment.
And just like online dating, new workout buddies should talk on the phone, e-mail or instant message each other before agreeing to meet.
When working out for the first time, meet in a public place and have an exit strategy.
Battle Excuses With Reason
- I'm too tired: Exercise will give you more energy over time. With consistent exercise, your metabolic rate will increase, the less tired you will become, and the less you will be able to use this excuse.
- I don't have enough time: You probably have time but do not want to set some aside for exercise. Be smart. Make time for exercise. Take care of your body now so that your body can last you a long time.
- I can't get motivated: Make goals for yourself and plan a reward -- like clothes, a movie, cultural event or trip -- each time you reach a goal. Never use food as a reward or punishment.
- I look too fat to go to the gym: If you are too self-conscious to be seen at the gym, exercise outdoors or at home in private. But remember this, too: exercising around others (at a gym), especially in a class, can motivate you to return consistently for your workouts.
- I can't commit to anything else right now; and I have to wait for things to settle down first: Prioritize your time. Make a list of all the things you need to do in your life and rank them according to importance. Delegate responsibilities and tasks where possible and make exercise a top priority. Cleaning the house, for example, doesn't trump exercise.
- I have too much cooking to do: Turn on some music and exercise while you cook. Walk or jog in place. Dance around the kitchen, climb the stairs or go for a quick walk in the neighbourhood while dinner cooks in the oven.
- I'm on a business trip: Most hotels have on-site gyms, propose a walking meeting, exercise in between meetings, climb some stairs or even walk around the office. Exercising will help prevent jet lag, manage stress and maintain fitness level while on the road.
Source: The Every Excuse in the Book Book; How to Benefit from Exercising by Overcoming Your Excuses by Jeanne Murdock, 2005, BeanFit
Publishing $24.50.


Love the excuse of the toupee.....but love this point more:
"But even the best excuses don't outweigh the benefits of exercise in the long run, the experts say."
Thanks Miranda!!
~IslandGirl
Back to Basics Challenge- Week 2: Variety is the Spice of Life!
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Good article!
Last night at soccer practice I was scoping out the field and realized I could get my workout in while the kids are practicing. It's a HUGE grass area where 3 lil pee-wee leagues practice side by side so I'm going to pack up my workout gear and ipod and start walking laps around the field for 30-45 minutes while they are practicing. That way, I won't have to pop in the workout dvd at 10pm like I did last night...
-Vanessa
Great idea Vanessa!!
~IslandGirl
Back to Basics Challenge- Week 2: Variety is the Spice of Life!
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