WHAT'S STOPPING YOU FROM EXERCISING?

You’ve decided that you would like to get into an exercise routine. You’ve taken the time to sit down and set some SMART goals (see blog post - www.kinetex.co.nz/blog/goal-setting-like-a-badss) and you know what you have to do. You’re ready to get stuck in.

And then… You get home from work. It’s been a long day and you’re tired. The temperature outside is dropping and the skies are gray. Dinner isn’t going to cook itself and there’s still that other thing you promised your boss that you would do tonight, and oh - and you promised your parents you would call them for a chat about this weekends plans. The gym isn’t going anywhere, right? The exercise routine can start tomorrow…

Sound familiar?

Try as we might, life often presents us with additional challenges when it comes to successfully beginning and adhering to an exercise regime. These may be physical or mental barriers, social, financial, environmental… Some barriers may be outside of your control, and some barriers within your control. Some barriers are operating at a subconscious level! Often it can be a powerful exercise to identify the variables which are limiting your commitment to your exercise plans. This allows you to become aware of, acknowledge, and where possible, devise specific strategies to overcome them.

As you go about your week, see how many of these you catch yourself thinking:

I don’t have time to exercise…

The gym is too far away…

I’m too tired to exercise…

Last time I tried, I failed…

It’s too cold outside for a walk…

I don’t know what to do…

The gym membership is too expensive…

It’s too hard to juggle family commitments…

I’m scared of doing it wrong and hurting myself…

I feel too awkward or uncomfortable at the gym…

What are the things that are preventing you from reaching your health and fitness goals? What steps can you take to over come them?