I am a self confessed gym bunny, I love going to the gym and everything about it, from getting up in the morning and having a good breakfast, the walk to the gym, the class itself and the amazing high I leave on, having had a great workout. It helps massively that there is a range of classes that I thoroughly enjoy attending, they’re fun, tough and have given me great results, so that in itself is reason enough to get me out that door and exercising.

I am of course without the problem of child care or long commutes to and from work, so I know it’s not quite so easy for others to get out to the gym or even think about where to start to incorporate a workout into their already hectic daily routine.

Livestrong.com have a list of the top 10 reasons why many of us don’t exercise, but they also give some pretty sound advice as to how you can start to fit in activity throughout the day. At the end of the day though, it’s down to you to do it.

Look after your body and it will take care of you!

No Time

Between work and children, school and homework, exercise is hard to fit in — but not impossible. Take the stairs when you can, walk on your lunch hour or park in the space farthest from the store. Better yet, walk to the store. Walk to pick up your children from school and run around with your dog in the backyard.

 

No Energy

A full day of work, school, errands and child care can wipe you out. Exercise at a time of day when you have more energy. Set your alarm for 15 or 20 minutes sooner and pop in an exercise DVD before your shower. Walk at lunchtime, or stop by the gym before you get home and call it a day.

 

Competing Interests

Other activities can eat up your free time — video games, texting your friends or going to the movies. Make exercise a priority. Grab a hula hoop between save blocks on the video game. Choose a social activity that doesn’t require you to sit. Go bowling, shop at the mall, or play a game of laser tag.

 

Haven’t Developed the Habit

Stick-to-it-iveness is hard to come by. Make a commitment to yourself to exercise for a month straight, no excuses. After three to four weeks, the habit should be forming, and you won’t have to struggle with it every day. Remember the reasons you want to exercise, set small goals and follow your plan.

 

No Motivation

If you think you have no reason to exercise, you won’t be motivated. Educate yourself on why lifelong exercise is important to your health and well-being, even if you are already slim and in good health. For a more mundane motivator, reward yourself for meeting your short-term exercise goals.

 

Too Overwhelming

You may be overwhelmed if you’ve never had an exercise routine before. So, start small. Take the stairs or walk around the block. Instead of forwarding through commercials, let them run, and do some jumping jacks while they’re on. Work your way up to 10 minutes of exercise at a time and build from there.

 

Poor Diet

If your diet is lacking in nutrition, you might not have enough energy to exercise. Get out of the fast food stupor and ditch the sweets. Eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy protein will make you more energetic, alert and disposed to exercising.

 

Current Physical Condition

Perhaps you’re obese, you’ve had a heart attack, or you feel that you’re too old to exercise. You may have to check with your doctor first, but almost everyone is able to perform some sort of physical activity regardless of size, age or condition.

 

No Access

You don’t need access to a gym or fancy equipment to exercise. You can exercise inexpensively at home with a resistance band, a set of dumbbells and a program to get you going. Use an exercise DVD or find appropriate exercises in a book or online. You can even exercise with no equipment, using only your body weight.

 

Lack of Results

When you don’t see the results you think you should, you may become dispirited and unmotivated. But keep moving. Exercise changes your body more than you realize. It reduces blood pressure, increases endurance and strength, and protects against some chronic diseases. Even without visible results, you are doing your body good.