Paul Plakas Slays the Most Common Excuses for not Exercising
Nov 23, 2009
As anyone who struggles with getting and staying fit knows, we have a myriad of excuses as to why we aren't getting enough exercise. We spoke with Paul Plakas about the top excuses we use, and he slayed every one of them (well, almost)!
I don't have enough time. "This has to be the top excuse that I hear from people. You need to schedule out your life and work out what things are the most important uses of your time. You need to go to work and make money, you need to spend a certain amount of time with your family, etc. Then you need to find the pockets of time left in your day that you can do some kind of activity.
If you have 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon and 10 minutes in the evening, then that is a good start. You've got to slot that time in to take care of your body. You make time for the other important things in your life, and taking care of your body is just as important. Lack of time is not a valid excuse for not exercising."
I hate exercise. "I hear this all the time from people. I tell them if you hate going to the gym, stop going to the gym. Find something that you like to do. Go for a swim, or go cycling or play a sport. It doesn't matter what activity you do, just find one that expends calories in order to burn fat. There must be something in this world that you like doing. Find that one thing, and do it!"
Exercise is too hard. "People think that they need to lose all their excess weight so quickly, so then they go to the gym and kill themselves. That is totally the wrong thing to do. You have to go in there and build up your workout slowly over time. Don't make it too hard from the get go."
I don't know what to do. "I get people saying to me, "Paul I don't know where to start." And I tell them, just do something, even if it is just walking. If you really need help hire a personal trainer to do a few sessions with you, then you will get a program to follow that way. Otherwise just put on your shoes and walk. If you are just starting out, the key is to progress it to harder and harder stuff eventually."
The only valid excuse, according to Paul Plakas, is fear. "There is only one valid reason that people have not to exercise, and that is fear. They are afraid to exercise because they are afraid of change. If your lifestyle is coming home, eating dinner, watching some TV on the couch then after having ice-cream and maybe playing video games, that is a habit your body has formed over many years, and your body has changed as a result of that habit.
If you are going to make a change to your body, you can't do those things, you are adopting a whole new way of living, and people are afraid of that change. That is what stops people from exercising. You have to counteract that fear by loving yourself enough to take care of your body. For me, I value my body tremendously, which is why I take such good care of it. People don't feel like they are worth the effort, and are afraid to change."
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Genetics
I always have a laugh at people who blame their genes on their excessive weight.
I am a person who, genetically, has an easy time gaining fat and a hard time losing it. This I cannot change. What I can change is how much I exercise and what/how much I eat.
It's amazing to me that people with the "fat gene" tend to be sedentary people prone to eating terrible junk food. They make the excuse that because they have this "gene" weight loss is so much harder for them blah blah blah.... When the truth is, exercise is hard for everyone. This is what makes it different from being sedentary. I've even seen people go as far as to say that their own laziness is genetic too LOL I can't believe people can go through life making these kinds of excuses for themselves, but I guess it's easier than putting in the work.
Of course exercise sucks when you are 60lbs over weight, but you have no one to blame but yourself for being 60lbs over weight.
Take responsibility for ourselves and the work becomes a whole lot easier.
This is so true. When I am
This is so true. When I am afraid, I bail.
i hear ya i have the same
i hear ya i have the same problem
me too
this is what I need to work on. Not be afraid of the change!!
exercise motivation?
ok .. i know this is lame .. but new workout gear is always a good motivator for me .. even if its some snazzy new socks .. or a new water bottle. the best motivator is when my old exercise pants are falling off and i need to go get new ones in a smaller size - yippeee!!!!
So True!
I was afraid at first to lose weight. I didn't want to be noticed. I didn't want attention from men, because i was afraid of being abused again. I put up a wall. Food took over. Once I got healing and realized that this is my life and I am not happy the way it is, things changed.
I am married to the most wonderful man, he is the best part of me. I am not scared to lose weight now because I know that he is there to support be. It doesn't matter what others think. I am the only one who can change me. I want to be healthy, I want to be an active family and when I have kids I want to be able to take my kids out and explore. Go for hikes and look at the beautiful world around me.
The little steps make the difference. I have to wake up and think, It doesn't matter what type of day yesterday was, because today is a new day. Today I am taking a step towards a healthier me. If I can do that everyday it makes a huge difference.
Fitness goal
It is daunting to set something to reach for that is not too hard and not too easy.
Fear, For Sure!
For me, I know I'm afraid to change, because I'm afraid people will notice it. I hate the extra attention I am getting from people when they notice me changing. In my mind it's like "What, did you think I was fat before?" It's ridiculous, but I hate it. Learning to ignore it though!
Choice of colours
If you want to show how well you have done, you can choose some bright colours. You should be proud of what you accomplished.
Excuses
Ain't that the truth. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said there's nothing to fear but fear itself. It's so true. Our bodies and our minds get into a sedentary lifestyle and it's just easier to give up on ourselves but all the while we're giving up, we're beating ourselves up about it, mostly on a subconscious level but I bet everyone from time to time here's the berating voice inside their head telling them they're lazy. That voice is our biggest obstacle and overcoming it is both our biggest challenge and eventually, if we're lucky, our greatest success. I quit smoking in 1988 after many attempts or practises as I like to call my failures but when I finally got it right, I knew it. I knew there was no going back. A habit I had for more than 18 years gone, just like that because for once I put my head into it as well. Unfortunately, I gave up smoking and took up eating but the challenge is the same. I've given up too much of my life to obesity and it's time to stop this craziness. Time is ticking by and once it's gone, there's no getting it back. So let's all hurry up and get to it because we know in the end the reward will be worth any 'sacrifice' we have to make to attain it. The Olympics are happening right here in Canada and I marvel at these young people and the dedication it must have taken to get them to this moment. So many lessons about perserverence, hardwork and dedication. Let's see if we can become our own champions! I just had an idea, when I finally reach my goal weight, which will be sometime after this challenge is over, I'm going to buy myself a gold coin to represent a gold medal. Hey, why not? :)
To Single Step
Love your attitude and your comments! So much of what you said hit home with me and I know I shall be re-reading this again and again to stay on track!
I think it's a fun award to buy your self a medal ~lol~
I'm planning on buying myself a slinky oh-no-she-isn't-wearing-that! dress. And I promise to look as hot as I wanna be!
I read this as I was taking a
I read this as I was taking a break and winding down after dinner. I guess it's time to get off my but and hit that treadmill! Great motivational post.
right on
U hit it right on the head here. It is fear of change that holds me back
HI
Thank you for giving me the boost that I so need at this point, I am really trying and not seeing a big difference on the scale..I needed that little extra bit of motivation. Thanks again Paul.
Thank-you for the pep talk, I
Thank-you for the pep talk, I definetly needed that this week. I know I am worth it, now to put all this knowledge to practice.
:)
I know that I'm worth the effort and I welcome the change! This challenge is helping me do just that<3