Fitness & Exercise

Top 6 Exercise Excuses and How to Beat Them

Exercise Excuse No. 5: "I Just Don't Like to Move."

"There are people who really enjoy not moving," says Gerard Endress, fitness director of the Duke Diet & Fitness Center. They prefer to knit, read books, or watch TV. "I work with those people on, 'Can you walk in the mall?'" he says.

If it's sweating you don't like, you can get a good workout without perspiring excessively, Endress says.

You can work out indoors where it's air conditioned. You can swim so you won't notice any perspiration. Or, try a low-sweat activity like gentle types of yoga.

If exercise hurts your joints, try starting by exercising in water, recommends Brunett. The stronger your muscles get, the more they can support your joints and the less you'll hurt. If your physical limitations are more serious, check with your local sports medicine or rehabilitation clinic, or find an athletic trainer who can help you figure out exercises that are still safe and easy to do.

If you don't like to move because you’re uncomfortable with your weight, start with an activity that's less public, like using an exercise video at home. Walk with nonjudgmental friends in your neighborhood while wearing clothes that provide enough coverage that you feel comfortable.

And remember that gyms today are different. "You don't have the Spandex gyms as much," says Endress. Women-only places may be more comfortable.

Exercise Excuse No. 6: "I Always End up Quitting."

Set small, attainable goals. Then you're more likely to feel like a success, not a failure, says Brunett. If you exercise for five minutes a day for a week, you'll feel good -- and be more likely to want to try 10 minutes a day the next week.

It also helps to keep a log and post it somewhere public -- even on Facebook. Craft calls it a "wall of encouragement." Friends and family can then say, "Hey, you did 15 minutes yesterday. Great job," she says. A log also helps you see if you're starting to fall off the wagon (or the treadmill).

Having an exercise buddy keeps you accountable as well, says Boston psychologist Eric Endlich, PhD, who works with patients who need motivation to diet and exercise. When you back out of a scheduled workout, you're letting down your buddy as well as yourself.

And look toward the future. It's harder to start exercising than to stick with it once you've got your momentum going, says David Coppel, PhD, a sports psychologist in Kirkland, Wash. "I bet you after two weeks of this," he says, "you'll feel really good."