by Jean Sidden

Created on: February 03, 2010   Last Updated: February 05, 2010

For some people, participating in an exercise program is easy and enjoyable. But for many people the list of excuses is long for why they can't be bothered. Exercise is a health priority and rather than shelving the idea of including physical activity in your life, there are always ways to work through your excuses.

Not Having Enough Time: This is one of the most often-used excuses people give for not exercising. Busy schedules are something most of us have to constantly juggle. If it were true that we had no time for exercise, it would also be true we have no time for any extra activity, but somehow, we'll find a way to squeeze new items onto our already full calendars.

Exercise is such a serious priority for good health it needs to find its place in anyone's daily schedule. The thirty minutes that's necessary to meet the requirement for good health can be broken up into smaller increments. Lunch hours can be used for walking; time at home watching television can be used for lifting weights; an alarm clock can be set to buzz a half hour earlier in the mornings. Lack of time is not a viable excuse for leaving exercise out of your life.

I Don't Like To:  This excuse is the runner up to "not having enough time." Yes, there are people who dislike the idea of exercise so much that they find it repelling. This is one of the reasons aerobic exercise was turned into a fun dance routine. Compelling people to want to participate is one of the primary goals of many of the new forms of exercise. However, again, exercise is too important to let this excuse stand in your way. Shop for a form of exercise that may be of interest to you. The possibilities are almost endless. Find a friend to exercise with to make it a more enjoyable experience. Take a class with others and you'll find out you aren't the only one struggling to include exercise in your life. Find an informal way of getting exercise like gardening or hiking. Yes, the effort to overcome this excuse is up to you, but the world of fitness has met us more than halfway in its effort to get people moving.

Being Too Old, Too Fat or Too Uncoordinated:  The benefits of exercise will occur the moment you begin adding physical activity to your life despite age, weight or seeming inability to move well. There are so many ways now to get exercise that none of these excuses makes any sense. No one is too old, too fat or too uncoordinated to walk. Once we begin exercising we start to feel younger, thinner and more physically adept, so once again, exercise presents the solution to all these excuses.

I Don't Know How to Do Those Things:  Exercise can be as simple as you care to make it. Walking for thirty minutes a day does not take a degree in rocket science. There are also many ways to learn how to do any form of physical activity. There are countless books, dvds and classes that were created for the sole reason of showing people how to execute an exercise program. If you don't care to join a gym, then take a class at a community college or YMCA. If you'd prefer to embark on an exercise program in the privacy of your home, look into the numerous videos and dvds that have been created. They will all tell you to take your time and learn the moves at your own pace.

Once you overcome your excuses for not exercising and begin a program, you will begin to see the positive results of this important health necessity. The visual results of a slimmer, more fit body will more than compensate for any aversion you might still be harboring. The benefits of exercises will begin to energize your enthusiasm to continue and suddenly all your excuses disappear.

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