There are always a million reasons not to do something. But sometimes the thing you need to do can affect your future health and wellness. Yes of course, we are talking about working out! Find out below how to overcome 5 common barriers to your fitness.
Not Enough Time
It does not take much time to bring fitness back into life. In fact, we recently wrote an entire article on just that, check it out here {Tiny Tweaks for a Healthier You link}. But nowadays, everyone is busy as can be. Schedules are jam packed with personal commitments, work, travel and more. How can you overcome this lack of time? Make fitness a priority. Analyze your life as it is right now. What are you doing everyday that you could either cut down or cut out? Even if you have 15 extra minutes to walk around the neighborhood, do a quick circuit workout or even just lift a few weights, you will start to notice some subtle changes. Adding even a little fitness into your daily life is essential to happiness and future health.
Being Away on Travel
Traveling for business or otherwise can make fitness dwindle. Especially when you are probably running on little sleep and eating out at restaurants for every meal. Our suggestion? Bring fitness with you. Some of the easiest items to tuck in your suitcase can be some of the most effective. A jump rope and a set of resistance bands will tuck right into your suitcase and could allow you to power through a very effective 15-20-minute workout while you are away. Make sure you are buying quality materials, though. Borrowing your daughter or niece’s jump rope will not do the trick. Try this. Burning some of the extra calories you piled on while away will help you to stay on track once you return to your normal schedule.
Busy with Family
Families are one of the biggest obstacles to working out. Depending on the age of your children, you could be dealing with a newborn who is unable to walk on their own to children who need constant carpooling to a million different activities. So how do you fit everything in? First, do any of your friends have young kids? Drop your kids at their house to be watched while you run or walk around the block for an hour. Then, offer to watch their kids while your friend does the same. Or, include your family in your fitness routine. Children love to chase and be chased, running around and around with your children will help you work up a sweat while getting your children tired out, a win-win situation.
Not Enough Money
Gyms are expensive, especially the nice ones. Fitness classes and personal trainers are even more pricey. If you are living on a budget with little extra income, indulging in these luxuries is out of the question. However, just because you do not have the financial means does not mean you have to give up working out. There are so many options out there if you’re on a budget. First and foremost, the great outdoors. Step out your front door into your own personal gym. Going for a run or long walk is a great way to get back in shape.
Working out from home has also become increasingly easy with websites like Pinterest, where you can find hundreds of at home workouts that require little or no equipment. If you need equipment to feel as if you are getting the most out of your workout, resistance bands are a great way to maximize your results. Check out our blog {insert link to 4 Benefits of Using Resistance Bands}, for more ideas.
Scared of Injury
So you want to get fit, but you don’t want to get hurt. If you are afraid of injuring yourself, take it slow. Easing into becoming a more fit person will make the transition much easier and most likely have a more lasting effect. If you go too hard too soon, you may burn out and then reverse all of your initial work. Get started by taking long walks with friends. This is a great way to catch up with your friends and also to get your heart rate working. According to Greatist.com, a study conducted on the health benefits of running versus walking found, “regardless of whether they were walking or running, individuals saw a reduced risk of hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and improved better cardiovascular health.” Additionally, beginner yoga is a great way to exercise and stretch without fear of injury. Any worthwhile yoga teacher will always ask the class if anyone has any injuries, this way you can be sure you are not jeopardizing any further injury.