By Darryl Partridge
VENT Fitness personal trainer
I’m too tired. There’s no time. I can’t due to an old injury. I never see results, so it does no good. I’m too busy during the summer, I will start in the fall. I will start tomorrow.
Sound familiar?
These are all the excuses that prevent us from getting in the gym to work out and become a better, healthier person.
Life is busy and hectic. However if we don’t take care of ourselves our daily lives only become more exhausting and stressful. Excuses for not working out and pushing ourselves physically only result in cheating ourselves. Recently a client shared a motivational email with me. I am not much for getting my motivation and inspiration from quotes that are shared over social media — I am motivated and inspired by action, not reading words — although, every once in a while a quote will resonate with me like this one did. It speaks to what I strive to instill in my training clients.
“Be the person you could’ve been, now,” said Darren Hardy.
I had just finished my Friday 5:30 to 10:00 morning shift. Tired and dragging from a week of early hours, I was looking forward to getting home, popping my leg off and relaxing for a few hours. I had even considered taking a nap, something I never do. After making myself a cup of coffee and settling into my favorite spot on the couch, I removed my leg, tossed my stump and foot up on the ottoman, then sat back to relax. I open my first email and there was the quote, “Be the person you could’ve been, now.” I quickly realized that sitting around doing nothing for the next few hours wasn’t being the person I could have been. I wanted more, and with the Tough Mudder coming up, I decided I didn’t want to just complete it, I want to kill it. My plans for the next few hours changed.
Before I knew it, I found myself running through the nature trails at a local nature preserve. I then returned home for some lunch and then back to the gym for a two-hour strength and power workout. At the end of the day when I crawled into bed, I slept well knowing I had not cheated myself out of being the person I could have been.
Anyone who has seen me in action or has trained with me will tell you two things:
• I don’t believe in excuses and do not listen to excuses. I will find a way around every single one of them.
• Winning is not coming in first and getting a medal. Winning is challenging and pushing yourself hard to achieve your physical goals – showing up and getting it done.
Let me destroy the popular excuses I hear every day so you can “be the person you could’ve been, now.”
I just don’t have the time
This is the number one excuse. Work, family and home it is tough to juggle everything that needs to be done. I understand, but be honest with yourself. We live in a world where we have become slaves to our technical devices. Make a list of all the time you spend watching TV, surfing the internet, Facebook, playing video games on phones or tablets. Could you use some of that time to exercise? Most likely the answer is yes. In fact, you could exercise while watching TV. I could put together a whole exercise program that could be done while watching TV in the evening. Prioritize some time to get in the gym for a workout.
I am not motivated
Getting to the gym after work or on weekends is difficult. It is to easy to say, “I don’t feel like it tonight” and just go home or, “It’s the weekend, I need down time.” Make yourself accountable. Working with a trainer is a great way to make yourself accountable. Signing up for classes will also help you be accountable. You are more likely to show up if you have committed to a class or an appointment. Keep in mind that a good workout after work is a great way to erase the stresses of the day or week.
I have an old injury and exercise will aggravate it
If you have doctor’s approval and professional guidance, with proper safe exercise you can actually improve your quality of life and have less pain. A good strength-training program will strengthen your muscles, joints and bones, allowing you to function better in your daily life.
I never see any results
If you are not seeing results, you are most likely not putting the work in. To see results you need a plan. The plan needs a cardio component and a good strength-building program. You also need to work up a good sweat and feel the burn. After I put my clients through a well-planned strength workout, the first thing they say is: “I didn’t know what working out was.” They feel it afterwards, but as they continue the workouts, over time they report increased energy and improved daily functioning. Focus on how you feel, not on what the scale says.
Too tired
When we spend a large portion of our days sitting as many jobs require, our bodies become lazy and fatigued, and our daily functions become strenuous. Exercise builds muscle strength, boosts endurance and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. By adding regular physical activity into your daily routine you will have more energy, be less tired and your daily living will become much easier.
Regular exercise can build up your self-esteem and confidence. It will make you feel strong, energize you and make your daily life more functional. destroy excuses find a way to add regular exercise into your daily routine to “become the person you could’ve been, now.”
Darryl Partridge is a Personal Trainer at VENT Fitness Clifton Park. He is certified in teaching TRX and participates in many sport events. They include skiing, cycling, climbing and participates in the Tour-de-Cure, Warrior Dash and Tough Mudder. Darryl also mentors amputees through his website LifeBeyond4Limbs.com “Set your goals high and then grow into the person who can achieve them.”