Top 5 Reasons Not To Exercise (And Why You Should Ignore Them) - Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, Naturopathic Doctor

This article was written by Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, a naturopathic doctor who also holds a doctor of medicine degree in her home country of Colombia. Dr. Maria practices at the Mindful Healing Clinic in Mississauga, where this article was originally published. It appears here on Steemit with the full permission of the original source. Find out more at their website - http://www.mindfulclinic.ca.

There’s always an excuse not to do something.

Anything, really.

From going to the grocery store to writing that article you want to write to going to see your family doctor, naturopathic practitioner or otherwise.

Our minds are really good at excuses, especially if it’s something you don’t really want to do.

Exercise is one of them.

Exercise is part of any successful weight loss program, as well as any healthy lifestyle.

And yet, people have hundreds of excuses for why not to exercise.

And like most excuses, they just don’t make sense when you really examine them.

But while proper diet and nutrition are important, they only go so far.

Without exercise, you’ll be spinning your wheels in frustration, unable to live up to your full health potential.

Here are some of the most common excuses your brain may come up with for why you don’t need to exercise, and how to ignore them.

1. “I’m Too Fat”

If you’re overweight, it may seem too difficult to exercise.

You may feel like you’re too far gone.

And if you’ve been overweight for a long time, you may be stuck in your overweight lifestyle and mentality.

Humans are creatures of habit, and it’s tough to break out of our habits.

But if you’re hoping for a successful weight management strategy, you’ll need to start exercising.

The good news, though, is that even if you get winded after only a few stairs, you can still start exercising.

Start gradually, even if it’s just going for a walk around the block.

You’ll be amazed at the difference it can make.

Nobody goes from being overweight to running a marathon overnight.

But if Rosalie Bradford could go from weighing a whopping 1,053 pounds to just under 300, you’re not too far gone.

2. “I’m Too Busy”

Everyone is busy. 21st century lives are busier than ever.

But if something is important enough to you, you’ll make time for it.

After all, you make time to catch up with your favourite TV shows, don’t you?

The truth is, you have the time.

If you want to exercise, you’ll make the time.

If you want to feel better, you’ll make the time.

If you’re committed to a weight loss program and want to make a change in your life, you’ll make the time.

And if you don’t, you’ll make this excuse.

3. “Exercise Is Boring”

If you think exercise is boring, you may need to broaden your idea of what you consider to be exercise.

Going to the gym and grinding your body isn’t for everyone, of course. Neither are team sports.

And if your memories of exercise are all related to gym class, that might be your first association.

But there are other ways to exercise as well.

Dancing is exercise. Swimming is exercise.

Going for a bike ride is exercise.

Playing the drums is exercise.

Even going for a walk with a friend is exercise.

The trick is to find some sort of exercise you enjoy doing.

You can push yourself to do what you don’t like to do once in a while, but in the long run, your willpower will give out, you won’t want to do them anymore, and you’ll end up hating exercise.

That’s not healthy.

Find something you enjoy, and find a way to fit it into your daily routine.

4. “It Hurts To Exercise”

Now, this isn’t always an excuse.

This is a legitimate problem which many people face.

However, there’s a difference between pain and soreness.

If you run a kilometer on the treadmill after not having done so for a while, for example, your legs may be sore.

That’s to be expected.

This soreness usually gets worse in the next day or two after exercise, but then it will start to feel better.

However, if you’ve injured yourself, the pain will be different.

Each person is different, but if you’re experiencing joint or muscle pain, talk to a doctor, physiotherapist, chiropractor, or other specialist to find out how you can exercise without hurting yourself.

In fact, many different types of pain, including lower back pain, can be offset by certain types of exercise.

5. “I’m Too Old”

Very few people are so old that they can’t exercise in some fashion.

But again, this comes back to a different understanding of what exercise is in the first place.

Most fitness centres have some sort of exercise program geared toward seniors.

These are usually gentler exercises which take into consideration older bones and ligaments, but they’re still doable.

If your body feels frail and you have trouble exercising, there are many small, low-impact exercises you can do which will help you keep moving without hurting yourself.