TOP 5 REASONS WHY PEOPLE WON’T OR DON’T EXERCISE

A friend asked me for my thoughts on why people don’t exercise, or what I think the barriers to exercise might be. We all know that we should be exercising, that exercise is good for us, and that if we partake regularly then we will increase our chances of a longer, healthier, happier existence.  Why then are participation rates so low? I have a few theories on this, some based on personal experience and some based on my observation of my clients over the past years.

Here are my top 5 reasons why people avoid exercise.

1. ITS HARD WORK

The amazing Tony Robbins says that people will do far more to avoid pain or move away from pain, than they will to move toward pleasure. When I first started exercising everything hurt...I mean everything. I discovered muscles in places where I’m pretty sure there shouldn’t have been muscles. My knees, my back, my chest...everything hurt. And not just while exercising but for days... many days after the exercise event happened.

The biggest mistake people make, and I’ve been there too, is they make a resolution to go to the gym 5 days a week and feel the burn!! After day 3 you are in so much pain that you can hardly walk, going to the toilet is a challenge and simple activities like brushing your teeth seem like too much effort. Your determination and commitment to exercise and get fit is over.

The key to starting any exercise program is to start slow, get good advice from a qualified professional, and plan on building up your activity and intensity over time.

2. FEAR OF DYING

This was very real for me when I started exercising. I’d been having some cardiac issues, investigations etc. I was pretty sure I was going to die in my sleep or sitting on the couch, let alone doing something crazy like elevating my heart rate by doing exercise.

Obviously, I took advice from my cardiologist, and I started exercising regularly. I was half convinced that I was going to drop dead any second but I thought well if it’s my time then it’s my time...

Guess what?? I didn’t die and my fitness and health continues to improve every day with regular exercise sessions and improved nutrition. Am I scared that an exercise session might kill me? Not so much anymore, I’m made of tougher stuff now.

Again, start slow, get good advice and build up the frequency and intensity of exercise over time. What I’ve found is the fitter and healthier you get, the less you worry about dying. Each session that doesn’t kill you helps you develop a stronger body and a stronger belief that you will survive to make the next session.

3. THE MAGIC PILL

As with so many things in today’s society, people want the result but don’t want to do the work. People want the 3 day bikini bod cleanse, the 7 day detox, the 11 day shred, the 14 day belly buster. They want the magic pill that dissolves fat, makes cellulite disappear and miraculously gives you the body of an instagram athlete.

People who are unfit and overweight, are generally like this because they developed habits and behaviours over time that resulted in them having the body they have today. We are talking years, or sometimes decades, of neglect. In order to change that, new healthy habits are required that will over time give them the healthy, fit and functional body that they want.

Exercise and good nutrition can’t be a sometimes thing, it needs to be an everyday thing. It about having the discipline to develop new daily habits. People will make the excuse that they don’t have time, but the real story is that they haven’t made it a priority. We make choices every day and we will make time for what matters.

Nobody can say they don’t have 30 minutes a day to exercise, and if that is the case then set the alarm to get up earlier or go to bed half an hour later. We find time for the things, and the people, that matter to us.

4. FEAR OF JUDGEMENT OR RIDICULE

I had another friend tell me the other day that she wanted to spend a month with a personal trainer so that she could get fit enough to come to bootcamp. It’s actually a real barrier for some people. They might feel so self conscious about their weight, shape or gym clothes that they will avoid exercise because of what other people might say or think.

The reality is that most people at the gym are so self centred that they aren’t actually paying any attention to what you might be doing. And if you don’t know what you are doing then approach the PT at the gym, and ask them to teach you the basics and work out a program for you.

A personal development mentor of mine always says “Every master was once a disaster.” In other words, everyone was once a beginner and we each start where we are today. Make your desire for good health more important to you than the opinions of others. Who cares what the strangers at the gym might think of you? If they stick around long enough they will see you coming back day after day, getting fitter stronger and healthier and they will be super impressed with your commitment and dedication.

Also, and this is really important, explain your new commitment to good health, good nutrition and exercise to everyone who is close to you. Unfortunately some of these people will see what you are doing as some kind of threat to your relationship with them. They can be scared of being left behind, worried that you might change, that you will stop being the adorable fatty that they know and love. They may even try to sabotage your efforts with food, alcohol or reasons to skip the gym. Hold firm and remind them that this is important to you and that their support would mean the world to you.

5. WHERE DO I START?

There are so many experts these days and everyone has an opinion. If you start googling health and exercise recommendations, you’ll end up with hundreds of different suggestions. You’ll be looking at options like HIIT, Pump, RPM, CrossFit, Yoga, Pilates, Piloxy, Boxing, F45, Orange Theory and so on and so on...

You will be told by friends, family and concerned know-it-alls not to run, not to lift, to be careful of this and be careful of that. My advice is simple...talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any concerns.

Try out a bunch of different classes at a local gym, try a bootcamp class, try a martial art class, try a range of different things and see what you enjoy the most. Most gyms or fitness groups or bootcamps will offer a free trial period, so you might as well take advantage of this. Here’s the thing, if you don’t enjoy your exercise then you won’t keep it up long term. You want something that you are going to enjoy doing regularly.

Again, start slow and build intensity over time. You may find that as your fitness improves you start to enjoy new types of exercise, but for now just walking with purpose for 30 minutes a day might be plenty for you. And I promise you, just moving your body for 30 minutes a day sure beats sitting on the couch with Netflix and doing nothing.