Most common excuse for not exercising?
Survey says: “No time.” But examine that
excuse at close range and you’ll see it’s usually
about something deeper, says Lavinia
Rodriguez, PhD, clinical psychologist and
author of Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering
Psychological Barriers to Weight Management
(iUniverse, 2008). “Typically, it’s lack of
motivation, lack of enjoyment, negative
associations, fear or maybe low self-esteem,”
she says.
Busy as we may be, we have less trouble
finding time for television, social networking
or even dull household tasks, Rodriguez
observes, because there simply aren’t the same
steep psychological barriers to those activities.
“Most people are in denial about their health,”
says fitness-industry icon Richard Simmons.
“We all have reasons for not exercising, but it
all comes down to time management and fear.
Fear you’ll get hurt. Fear of embarrassment.
Fear of failure.”
But what we’d be better off being afraid of, he
says, is what will happen if we don’t exercise.
How will a sedentary lifestyle be affecting you
next year? In five or 10 years?
“Will you have time for multiple doctors
appointments?” he asks. “Will you have the
time and money to take medication every day
to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol
or diabetes?” Just as important, what do you
stand to gain by finally taking your health off
the back burner?
If you want to exercise, you’ll make the time.
We interviewed psychologists, exercise
scientists, celebrity trainers, authors and busy
everyday people to get a handle on the 25
most promising strategies.
1. Make a Plan.
“The best way to make time for exercise is to
have a written plan,” says Chris Evert, 18-time
Grand Slam tennis champion. “Decide on the
best time for exercise in your schedule and
actually enter it into your computer or cell-
phone calendar as a repeat event. This way it
shows up daily and there’s less chance of you
scheduling something during that time. Also,
when you check your schedule in the morning,
you’ll see it there and form a mental picture o
when and how you’ll be exercising that day,
which helps you stay motivated.”
2. Subdivide Your to-do list.
Rather than making one long to-do list you’ll
never complete, divide your list into three
categories, advises Lisa Druxman, MA, exercise
counselor and founder of the Stroller Strides
(www.strollerstrides.com ) and Mama Wants
Her Body Back (www.mamawants.com )
programs. “It’s not enough to get things done,
she says. “You need to get the right things
done. It’s OK to have dirty clothes in your
hamper. It’s OK if you don’t read every email
the moment you receive it. It’s not OK to
cheat your health.” Druxman suggests the
following to-do list makeover:
• Take out a sheet of paper and create three
boxes that represent the most important parts
of your life (e.g., family, work, yourself).
• List the top three to-dos that would make the
most difference in each category. For family,
it might be cooking or helping with homework.
For work, it might be returning phone calls or
completing a presentation. For yourself,
include exercise, plus something else
nurturing, like calling a friend or having a
healthy lunch.
• Finally, block out times on your calendar for
those specific to-dos, and honor those very
specific commitments.
Having trouble deciding which to-dos are most
important? “Think about the things that will
have the most impact not just today, but a
year from now,” Druxman says
3. Find five minutes.
Even if your day is packed with meetings and
other commitments, you absolutely can eke
out five minutes for yourself, says Simmons.
And that simple act of self-care has the
potential to change your life. “I tell people it’s
OK to start very, very small.” A five-minute
walk now can easily turn into daily 30-minute
walks a few weeks from now. “You have to
start somewhere,” he says.
4. Limit screen time.
Don’t aimlessly surf cable channels or the
Internet, says Rodriguez. That’s a surefire way
to waste time you could be spending in more
active ways. Before you sit down, set a time
limit (consider keeping a kitchen timer nearby
to alert you when time’s up). Most of us
occasionally watch shows we don’t love
because we’re bored, notes Franklin Antoian,
CPT, founder of iBodyFit.com . “Consider
trading just 30 minutes of that low-value
television time for exercise,” he says. “My
guess is you won’t miss it.”
5. Be an active watcher.
When you do watch TV, make the most of it.
Do some ball-crunches, planks, yoga poses,
squats, lunges or pushups while you’re
watching. Keep fitness equipment, such as a
kettlebell, resistance bands and a jump rope,
near the TV. Or use the commercial breaks to
mix in brief cardio intervals. Run in place or
up and down the stairs; do some burpees or
jumping jacks.
6. Delegate like crazy.
Reassess household chores: Can the kids do
laundry? Can your spouse cook dinner? What
professional tasks can you hand off so you can
get out for a walk at lunch or stop by the gym
on the way home? Don’t think you’re the only
one who can do all of the things you’re
currently doing. Look, too, for things that
could be done less often — or that might not
need to get done at all.
7. Be motivated by money.
Putting some money on the line may provide
you with the motivation you need to show up
for activity. Sign up for a yoga workshop, boo
some sessions with a personal trainer, or plun
down some cash for a race or other athletic
event you’ll have to train for. Schedule a
babysitter to watch the kids while you go for a
run. Or take a few salsa lessons.
8. Think positive.
Psychologists suggest that actively editing your
negative self-talk patterns is a powerful way to
support healthier lifestyle choices. For
example, anytime you catch yourself thinking,
“I am too busy to work out,” rephrase the
thought in more positive, empowering terms,
such as, “I choose to make myself a priority.”
Or, “I do have time to be healthy.” Or, “I am
willing to do something active today.” Over
time, those positive thought patterns will
elbow out the negative ones, helping you to
see your available choices more clearly.
9. Be a hot date.
Dinner and a movie is so cliché, says Shannon
Hammer, motivational speaker and author of
T he Positive Portions Food & Fitness Journal
(Fairview Press, 2010). What if, instead, you
took your date/partner/love-interest to a
cycling class or a ballroom dance lesson, went
on a hike or a picnic, or kicked a soccer ball
around the park? Bonus: Research shows that
shared activity builds attraction.
10. Do brisk business.
Chances are, many of your coworkers are in
the same boat as you: They want to exercise,
but have trouble finding the time. So, what if
you move the weekly progress update or
brainstorm session to the sidewalk, or stand
during meetings? Can your group hike to the
coffee shop rather than order in? Can you woo
a new client over a tennis match instead of
dinner? The fresh air and endorphins will spar
more creative ideas, Hammer says.
11. Socialize on the move.
Next time a friend suggests meeting for lunch,
dinner or drinks, counter with an active
invitation. How about joining you for a yoga
class or a quick walk around the lake? Instead
of spending time on the phone or emailing
back and forth, suggest that you catch up on
the latest news over a leisurely bike ride, or
bond by trying an athletic pursuit, like indoor
climbing, that neither of you has ever tried.
12. Work it in.
Diedre Pai, 35, is a mom to two girls under
age 3. With an infant and toddler constantly in
tow, she’s had to get creative with her exercis
routine. While picking up toys, towels and
trash off the floor, she increases glute and leg
strength by doing squats instead of bending at
the waist. “I do calf raises whenever I’m
standing at the counter or stove, and when I’m
going upstairs to change a diaper,” she says.
Whenever she picks up her baby, she does a
few overhead lifts. “That always makes her
giggle.” Kids playing outside? “I get in there
and run and climb at their speed, which gets
my heart rate up,” she says. Over the course
of a single day, Pai estimates she gets about 6
minutes of exercise this way.“I consider
parenting to be a full-contact sport,” she says,
“and being in shape makes me a better player.
13. Find a cheerleader.
What looks like lack of time is often lack of
motivation, so consider recruiting emotional
support. “I decided 35 years ago that I would
be the court jester of health and get people
excited about fitness,” says legendary activity
advocate Richard Simmons. “Because, when
you’re excited about something, you find time
to do it.” Nominate a friend, family member,
life coach or personal trainer to be your
cheerleader and encourage you (positive
messages only; no nagging) on a daily basis.
Or, join an online community like
www.fitlink.com that emphasizes can-do
camaraderie.
