While I was driving in the car yesterday, the DJ on the radio talked about a recent poll that said 40% of Americans believe they are “too old” to work out.
First of all – WHAT?!?!?!?
Want to know what the “too old” age is?
41
Yes, that’s right, 41. And that’s not 41 in dog years, that’s human years.
My jaw dropped as I blurted out to no one in the car, “What is wrong with people?!?!”
As someone who is about to turn 41 in two months, I can attest that I do NOT feel too old to workout. In fact, I feel better than I did in my 20s. And I hope to still be working out in my 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
The more I thought about this poll, the more I scratched my head and had “WTF” thoughts.
Who was part of this poll – 16 year old kids? I know when I was 16, I thought 30 was SO OLD. Were these adults in their 30s or 40s?
In my years of working in the fitness industry, I’ve had many, many people who were still exercising in their 80s and 90s. There is no age limit on exercise. Once you have that mindset, you are screwed.
But the more I thought about it, I realized it boils down to yet another excuse why you can’t exercise.
In addition to the “I’m too old” excuse, there’s the usual:
It’s too hot/too cold
Too early/too late
It’s raining/snowing/windy/sun is shining
Too tired
I’ve got too much work to do
And of course, everyone’s favorite – no time
The thing is, there can always be an excuse if you don’t want to do something.
It’s time to drop the excuses.
As we all know, the hardest part is getting started. It doesn’t matter if you are a life long exerciser, if you stopped for awhile or if you have never done it. Once you make the first step, you’re already making progress. You know what to expect so that second step is a little less scary.
So let’s debunk the excuses:
I don’t have time
Everyone gets the same 24 hours a day as you. How is it that some people have found a way to exercise during these same 24 hours? They make the time. What you are really saying is “I don’t have time for that.” And that being exercise. Making time for exercise doesn’t mean it will take over your day. All you need is 30 minutes (try this 30 minutes or less workout). It could be waking up a little earlier than usual, taking a walk during your lunch break, strength training while watching your fav TV shows, whatever it takes to get moving.
Exercise is boring
News flash – the majority of things we do every day are boring. But would you skip brushing your teeth because it’s boring? No! Same thing with exercise, we do it because it makes us healthier. If you think your workouts are boring, try something else until you find something that is less so. Try a class at the gym. Take up CrossFit. Lace up your sneakers for a run. Jump in the pool for some laps. There is something out there for everyone to enjoy.
I’ve got kids
And so do I and a lot of other people who exercise. I get it, especially when you have young children at home with you. Finding time to exercise when you have kids can be tricky especially if you are a single parent or have a spouse who travels a lot. Maybe you wake up before everyone else to get it done. Or if you head to the park, don’t sit on the sidelines, join in playing tag, climbing on the monkey bars or whatever activity is going on. Or try this workout with bodyweight exercises that can be done anywhere. My kids love joining me on a run either on their bikes or running with me. Having kids should not be an excuse for skipping on exercise, it should be a reason to exercise.
I’m too tired
Chances are your tiredness is from not getting enough exercise. Sitting at a desk and looking at a screen all day can leave you feeling exhausted even though your only movement was in your eyes and fingers. Give yourself the 10 minute rule: If you still are feeling tired after 10 minutes of exercise, give yourself permission to stop. Most times, you will forget about being tired. If not, keep trying. It will happen.
It’s too hot/too cold
Last time I checked, most gyms have air conditioning and heat. If you don’t want to run, walk, or exercise outside because of the weather, go earlier in the day or later in the afternoon, or wear weather appropriate clothing. (Here are tips for running in the heat , cold and rain). You can’t wait for perfect weather. You make due with what you have.
So for those who think you are too old to exercise, I beg to differ. There is no age limit on fitness. Oddly enough, this same poll that showed the respondents “felt better when they exercised”, had more motivation and were overall happier people.
Aren’t those reasons enough to start to exercise?
It’s time to drop the excuses of why you can’t exercise! #fitness #runchat #gethealthy
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What’s an excuse that you’ve used?
I’m guilty of the ‘too tired’ excuse for sure.
Linking up with Coaches Corner.
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