5 Excuses for Skipping Workouts You Can No Longer Use

1. “I’m Tired.”

If you are feeling fatigued, working out will wake you up. In a University of Georgia study it was found that people in both moderate-intensity(jogging) and low-intensity(walking) exercise regimens had a 49% and 65% reduction in feelings of fatigue compared to a control group (no exercise). So if you’re feeling a little tired and thinking about skipping your workout today, remember that if you get your blood pumping, even a little bit, you’re going to feel more awake and less fatigued.

This is different than if you are feeling tired from sickness. Low to moderate intensity workouts tend to raise your immune system response, but high-intensity workouts tend to suppress your immune response. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

UGA Study

2. “I don’t Have Time.”

If you don’t ever have time for a workout you are simply lying to yourself. Yes, being a college student, I know that there are times where it is incredibly difficult to find a full hour to devote to working out. The thing is you don’t need to spend a full hour working out to get an incredible benefit.

 I introduce HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). The basis of HIIT is to go all out for a period of time and then go at a slower pace for a rest period and then repeat. I won’t go in-depth into it but I will include a very detailed post that I have saved in my StumbleUpon Fitness list (favorite non-exercising hobby). HIIT not only takes less time than most workouts, but it burns more calories during and after your workout. Think of it as working really hard now to burn more calories all day not doing anything. Sounds like a plan to me.

High Intensity Interval Training Information

3. “I’m Sore.”

If you’re sore get over it and go workout. Work on something besides what you worked on yesterday. If your muscle is sore, you probably shouldn’t work it harder. You don’t want to get hurt. If you ran yesterday, and your legs hurt, go lift upper body today. We aren’t simply talking about needing a rest day. Everyone deserves a rest day every once in a while. You can get a workout in today if you’re still sore from yesterday. Stop making excuses.

 Remember, there is a difference between a sore muscle and a hurt muscle. If you have had pain in your muscle longer than 3 days, you may have tweaked or strained a muscle. Take a few days off of any work on that muscle. Again always listen to your body. Working out is going to make you sore, but if you do it properly you shouldn’t hurt yourself. Freak injuries happen, listen to your body.

Me playing a Disc Golf tournament

4. “I’m not the working out type.”

There is no reason why you can’t get a workout in a way that doesn’t feel like a workout. If you like to hike, use that as your workout. If you like go fishing, paddle a boat. Find something that you like doing that requires you to move. You don’t have to be moving at an intense pace to receive the health benefits. My personal favorite non-working out workout is Disc Golf. I’ve grown up playing Disc Golf my whole life, I love the game and I never really realize that I’m walking a few miles every round I play. All those miles walking add up. Any activity helps.

5. “I don’t know how.”

This excuse is one that really gets to me at a personal level. The amount of easy to read and free information available these days is ridiculous. If you google any lift, any workout, or any exercise related problem, you are going to find an abundance of information. There are better sources than others, but if you click on any random link in those searches, you are going to be ahead of where you started.

Simple Exercise Information Resources

1. Google random workout related searches.

2. Use StumbleUpon.com and search “fitness” or “workout plans” and sit back and get workout ideas thrown at you.

3. Ask staff or someone at a gym.

               A lot of times you can get helpful hints from just asking. The staff is there to answer questions. I’m not telling you to always ask questions of people working out, but most people can give you tidbits of quick information as they go.

4. Get a personal trainer.

               This can be expensive but worth it. If you truly don’t know where to start, a personal trainer can be a valuable investment.

You are no longer allowed to use any of these excuses. Next time you try, remember this article, and hold yourself accountable. The next time you try to make an excuse to why you can’t workout today, ask yourself if it’s a valid reason that you shouldn’t or just a frivolous excuse.