Tuesday, February 11, 2014

But I don’t have time to go to the gym!

Ah yes, we’ve all said that one about a million times. Who has time to go to the gym? Answer: No One! Not one person I know has time to go to the gym, including myself. Yet, I manage to get there on average 5-6 times a week. Do I do it because I have loads of free time? Please, I don’t have a spare minute just like everyone else. Do I do it because I love? If you have read my previous posts on the gym and exercise you will know that answer is no. Not that I hate it mind you, my gym happens to be a lovely place filled with many nice people, it’s clean, has great equipment and beautiful showers, but if I had a choice I’d rather get a manicure or a massage, let’s be real here.

No, I make the time because I have this thing in my head that I made a commitment to myself long ago that once I decided to take the gym seriously and work on my body and health, I had to follow that up with my commitment to make sure it happens. And the only way that happens, is to get myself there 5-6 times a week. If I go longer than two days without going to the gym, I seriously start to have major guilt and will move mountains to make sure I get there on the third day.

Now, some of you may be saying you don’t like the gym, or can’t afford the gym and I can appreciate that. Then substitute that with say walking, or jogging, or doing an exercise tape at home (you can rent them for free at the library) or taking a Zumba class…the list of activities you can do is endless. Only it has to start with a commitment. 

The reason I talk about the gym is that I have found most people (not everyone, most) will not follow-through on a home-based exercise program. It’s too easy to fail. How many people reading this blog have a piece of exercise equipment in their home right now that is being used for a towel rack instead? Or is collecting dust in the basement? Or was moved to the garage because it was taking up too much space?

Trust me, we’ve all been there. I have had countless pieces of exercise equipment in my place over the years and countless exercise DVDs. I started up with my commitment just fine, only after a bit of time it was too easy to find an excuse not to do it. When you exercise out of your own home I find it’s too tempting not to do it. Most likely because we are too comfortable. I mean really, you come home from a long day of work, take your work clothes off, put on your comfy pjs…it’s cold outside. Who wants to go back out and go to the gym? No one!!! 

That’s why you bring your clothes with you and go straight to the gym. Or you go before work. Maybe you work from home and make your own hours, then work around that. Whatever your lifestyle, you make it work around that if you are truly committed to making a change. It is very easy to SAY you want to change. It is very easy to SAY you want to be twenty pounds lighter by summer. Or a size smaller. It is a whole other thing to follow through on that statement. 

So if you are really committed to making a change, start today. You don’t even have to do anything today. Just start the thought process of HOW you can make it work in your life. Maybe you already have a gym membership and just haven’t gone in some time? Maybe you need to find a gym? If that’s the case, my advice, find one that is close to your home or place of work. Get one that’s too far away and there’s another excuse, too far. My gym is five minutes from my house, I can and do, literally roll out of bed, through on my gym clothes and I’m off. I also keep my gym bag handy and fully stocked so that once I’m done working out I can take a shower. When I walk out of the gym in the morning (I mostly go in the morning, but if I miss the morning, I get myself there at night), I’m ready for the day and don’t have to think about when I’m going to get there. 

If you are serious about getting healthy and in-shape, you will find a way to do it. It’s that simple. We somehow complicate the process. 

Lastly, I leave you with a quote:

“you don’t always get what you wish for, you get what you work for” 

NineFrogs – “Where Style meets Motivation and = Success”

Patti Bokowski
www.NineFrogs.com