Ruling Out Exercise Excuses

Studies show that exercise can add quality years to your life. So, what are you waiting for? Some 'excuses' are legitimate reasons for not exercising, but usually there are sensible solutions, says Prof Gordon Lynch.

Professor Gordon Lynch (Director of the Centre for Muscle Research in the Dept of Anatomy & Physiology) presents the Health and Fitness segment every week on ABC Radio Overnights program. Here's his latest advice, the top excuses for not exercising plus how to maintain motivation and momentum.

Yes, physical activity can add years to your life, but first start with a health check!

A study led by researchers from Griffith University and just published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggested physical activity has been vastly underestimated in its capacity to improve health outcomes, and that even modest increases in movement could lead to significant life-extension benefits.

Being more physically active can offer protective effects against heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and other chronic illnesses.

Hopefully, that message may have got your attention and hopefully your desire to change potentially unhealthy habits.

And although we may have the best intentions, remember you need to first check whether exercise is safe and appropriate for you. That is especially if you are returning to exercise after a long layoff, or if you have health problems.

So, have a health check with your GP or specialist and get their ‘all clear’ to do activities that best suit your needs.

Even if you have one or more health conditions, there are usually exercise options that will benefit and not aggravate, so get checked and choose wisely.

Excuse: I’m too old to start exercising

No. Many studies have reported that people in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and even centenarians can benefit from structured exercise programs. Amazingly, even as we age, the body has the capacity to adapt to the challenges of exercise.

We can’t perform the same way we did when we were younger, but exercise can help keep the body (and mind) younger and better able to face life’s challenges.

Excuse: I don’t have time to exercise

Exercise does not have to be time-consuming to be beneficial. The benefits of exercise accumulate across the day, so if you can’t exercise for 30 minutes (or more) in one session continuously, then three 10-minute sessions or some other combination, can also produce important benefits. That’s especially the case if you’re exercising a little more intensely

Finding time to exercise can be a challenge, but given its health benefits, exercise should be a priority. Try and be more active at every opportunity: a brisk walk at lunchtime, taking the stairs whenever feasible, treating your housework, and gardening like workouts, or getting the kids outside and playing together.

Excuse: I don’t know how to exercise

Some forms of exercise can be intimidating at first, but don't let that put you off. Going for a walk doesn't require any special skills for most able-bodied people. If you'd like to add some variety, join a gym, start yoga or Pilates classes or take up golf. Plenty of help is available to get you started.

Don't be self-conscious about getting active. Most people are far too busy concentrating on their own activity to be looking at what you're wearing or what you're doing wrong.

Good gyms and health clubs will offer classes for beginners, taught by qualified instructors, who can teach you the basic skills of exercising effectively and safely.

Excuse: I’m not fit enough to exercise

You don’t have to be fit to get fit. You must start somewhere, no matter how out of shape you are at the beginning.

Walking is an activity that’s safe and suitable for virtually everyone. You can start with a walk around the block. Slowly at first, then gradually building speed. With moderate intensity exercise you'll be breathing a little more quickly but still able to maintain a conversation in clipped sentences – the so-called ‘talking threshold’.

Once you start exercising consistently, you'll be surprised how quickly your fitness improves.

Excuse: Exercise is painful, dangerous and too demanding

Wrong! Exercise shouldn’t cause injury if it’s done safely and effectively. You may huff and puff a little in your quest for improved health and fitness, but feelings of discomfort are a lot different from pain. Usually, your body will let you know when you’ve done the wrong thing like overdoing it or doing too much too quickly.

The risk of injury during properly performed exercise is quite low. So how do know if you're doing things the right way?

Well, if you're doing something more complex than walking, you might want to seek the advice of a qualified fitness instructor or coach, who can teach you how to perform the activity correctly with a low risk of injury.

Excuse: I get enough exercise at work or I'm too tired after work

Although some jobs, like those involving heavy manual labour, are genuinely very physically demanding, many of us spend our workdays being fairly sedentary. You might feel mentally tired after work, but that doesn't mean you've been active enough to get the benefits that structured exercise provides.

Not many jobs can give you a complete workout. You might be on your feet all day but do little resistance exercise. On the other hand, you might do plenty of heavy lifting, but little aerobic activity. So even if you are fairly active at work, try and do a different type of activity outside of work so you can reap the benefits of both.

If you're too tired to exercise after work, try and squeeze in some activity before or during lunch hour. You'll be surprised how much better you feel. If your only option is to exercise after work, make sure you do so as soon as you get home as it will be very difficult to get off the couch once you’ve settled in!

Excuse: Exercise is too expensive

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to exercise. While a good pair of running or walking shoes can be expensive, the support and protection they provide to our feet, knees, hips and back make them an important investment.

Gym memberships can sometimes be expensive and even purchasing home gym equipment can require considerable one-off expenses, but there are alternatives. Check out your local community centre or recreation centre, which often cost far less than private gyms or health clubs.

Motivation: Set challenging but realistic activity goals

When it comes to staying active, goals can be an important motivational tool.

For example, if you’re new to exercise, you can set a goal to walk for 15 minutes at least three times per week. Once you've comfortably achieved that goal, you can step it up: you might aim to walk for 20 minutes three times a week or stay with a 15-minute walk but do it more often – ideally on most days of the week.

The key to maintaining motivation and momentum is to continually reassess and reset your goals, so that as your health and fitness improves you keep working towards new challenges.

Monitoring your progress as you work towards your goals can also help you to maintain motivation. You can do this privately, in a journal, or more publicly, with a chart on the fridge or even an online tracker – whatever works for you!

The holiday season can be a great time to start exercising, we just need it be sensible and effective.