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It’s Monday evening, your plan was to hit the gym and get a workout in as usual. You have been optimizing your time so efficiently. You haven’t missed a gym day since you started your new program last week.

Then the famous excuse, “I’m too sore from my workout yesterday, I’ll go tomorrow” crosses your mind. Well tomorrow comes and surprise! You persuasively throw another excuse out there to feed your self-esteem and to lessen the dark cloud of guilt that will imminently house itself in the back of your head.

I have to admit this has been the story of my life several hundred times!

So why do we LOVE to come up with excuses that redirect us off of our path to success?

You may read the specific circumstance above and think, “Well it’s just one workout”, or, “missing one day should’t matter”. And sure those are both reasonable responses but that type of thinking may very well be the fine line between being successful and being average.

These excuses could also be the start of a downward spiral, taking you further from your goals than you realize.

Moreover, let’s really dissect this concept. Always having excuses, not only affects your personal goals but it can really start to affect ALL aspects of your life.

When looking at excuses from a psychological stand point, excuses may stem from denial, protecting ones emotions, empty justifications of our own behaviors and refusal to see the benefits of the original situation we are attempting to avoid.

So how do we not fall in a vicious excuse making cycle? Firstly, we need to ask ourselves when we come up with an excuse. Why is this feeling happening? What is the reason for not wanting to go through with the thing we formulated an excuse for? Is it really a situation that needs an excuse?

Once we being to acknowledge the reason for developing an excuse it helps us potentially retreat back into a more motivated stance. Essentially, saving us from a self-sabotaging roller-coaster of excuses and justifications.

Now we’ve gone over the psychology behind excuses, let’s review the top 3 excuses that inhibit people from actually reaching their fitness goals. I’m not one to sound cliché but if I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard one of these from clients, friends, co-workers, family, etc., I would be RICH!!

Let’s dive in and learn how to finally stop making excuses for working out…

{{ Disclaimer: This site may provide information related to health, fitness, exercise, supplements and nutrition and is intended for personal use only. You should always consult a physician or medical professional before beginning, changing your lifestyle or using any new program or information you find here on the site. Nothing contained at The Healthy Girl Hustle should be used as medical advice or as a diagnosis. Use the information  found here solely at your own risk. }}

1. I’am Too Busy/I Have No Time

When I hear this one I always try to respond in a way that causes the person to rethink their excuse. You really don’t have 20 mins to invest in your health a few times a week? I totally get that work is hectic, your young kids keep you on your toes and they need CONSTANT supervision, you need to clean your house, you need to cook dinner and so on…

Ask yourself, can you shave off 10 mins of meaningless social media scrolling? Can you get up 10 mins earlier? Do you need to watch an hour of TV? Can you sacrifice some time throughout your day to impact your future health?

Let’s be real with ourselves, the answer is ALWAYS yes you can! We can all do the math, an hour out of our day is only around 4% and now looking at that, it is kind of shocking that we really can’t fit in three 20 minute workout sessions a week.

Be honest with yourself, someone who has more on their plate is out there grinding much harder than you. I don’t say that to instil guilt, I say this to encourage accountability. By not making excuses for yourself, you can unlock so much more potential. I talk about how to stop making excuses here.

Once we can rebuild our strategy towards fitness success, it will be MUCH easier to completely crush the goals we set for ourselves. I promise!

2. I Have No Energy/ I’m Too Tired

You are among millions of working people who put in 8 – 12 hours a day at your job. You come home and you have to walk your dog, you need to tend to your kids, do the daily house chores and something you dread (or at least I do!), making lunches. We have to make sure everyone in our family have enough food in their arsenal to trek through the next week day right?

A lot of the time, life can include some pretty rigorous daily routines. These routines can really deplete us mentally and physically but there is some good news! I know it may sound crazy, but exercise DOES actually increase your energy levels.

According to an article in ScienceDaily, a study from the University of Georgia showed those who engage in regular, low intensity exercise managed to decrease their fatigue by a whopping 65% and increase their energy levels by 20%!

I don’t want to exclude the fact that, exercise also releases dopamine and endorphins. Finishing a sweat session can also reduce stress and may act as an outlet to release negative energy we tend to house inside.

When speaking from experienced, I can totally agree with the experts. The times when I do get into a rut with minimal exercise, I have less energy and I feel a lot older than my age would reflect.

In conclusion, the point here is that, mustering up every ounce of energy that you have to fit in a workout, is always more beneficial than plopping yourself in front of the TV or deciding that you don’t have the motivation to do a workout before trying. I guarantee after completing, even a quick workout, you will feel better and your will power will eventually translate to other parts of your life.

3. I Really Don’t Know Where To Start

The thought of completing a 45 minute HITT training session might seem daunting, and to be honest really NOT something fun. If you are in a workout rut or you are just beginning your fitness journey, the most difficult step is always the first. If you have made the decision to even start that is HUGE!

You don’t have to go into the whole fitness world scared and intimidated. There are so many resources out there and a ton of support. I am the type of person who loves to write everything down – and yes, with pen and paper!

Using a workout journal or app where you can log your workouts is critical for improving your fitness level as you continuously work towards your goals. This will also keep you accountable and you can clearly see just how much you are accomplishing. Subscribe below to get helpful easy to follow workout templates, quick sample workouts, and more!

When starting out, it is crucial to figure out what specific goal you would like to accomplish from your training regimen. What is your reason for starting?

• Weight loss
• Muscle building
• Leisure
• Recent health issues
• Improve mental health

Whatever The Case…

Take the next step, you won’t regret it! Once the excuses stop, the easier it will be to start creating new habits and seeing the benefits of exercise.

Do you need some structure with your workouts? Subscribe to the email list and receive some of my exclusive workout cheat sheets, 7-day meal plans and more!!