Fitness Roadblocks

What to look out for and how to overcome them.

I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME

This is by far the number one excuse for people trying to get in shape. It’s understandable. We have jobs, spouses, kids, pets, parents, friends, meetings - endless responsibilities. We let these get in the way and stop us from focusing on our #1 responsibility  - taking care of ourselves. 

We obviously can’t ignore our loved ones, but we must shift our mindset and realize OUR HEALTH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE HAVE. How much quality time will you have with your kids, your family, or your job if you’re sick, overweight, out of shape, and suffering from heart disease and diabetes?

We must find a way to incorporate at least some physical activity into our lives. If you’re exercising zero days per week, how can you fit it in just one workout? Even 15-20 minutes. If you’re currently getting one workout per week, how can you get that up to two or three?

We spend enough time keeping up on Netflix shows and social media, there’s no way we can’t find one or two hours during the week to invest in ourselves.

Workout efficiency is key when it comes to using your time wisely. Someone could be spending six hours per week at the gym but doing the same amount of work they could accomplish in one focused, well-organized hour of exercise. Think about how much more we could accomplish if we became more efficient with our workouts. 

Don’t be afraid to let professionals help with this. You can hire a fitness professional or attend group workouts to help you make the most of your time. There are proven techniques for maximizing your time in the gym, including circuit and interval training. Find someone who can teach you the proper way to do it. 

I LOSE MOTIVATION

This is normal. We get excited in January and turn into a workout machine. It’s great for the first week or two, maybe even the entire month. But by the time February rolls around, we’re back on the couch and back to being “too busy.”

Community support is one of the most under-appreciated factors in improving our health. That support can come from family, friends, online groups, anywhere. It’s important to have people around you who truly want to see you get better. 

If you’re working out at home, you’ll need to make sure family members or roommates are on board. They don’t have to workout with you, but they need to respect your time and your efforts, and hopefully not leave open containers of ice cream out on the counter after your workouts. 

If you’re working out at a gym, make sure you feel comfortable and connected to the people around you. You want to be someplace where people care about you. If you walk into a gym and are not acknowledged by another human being, you need to find a new place.

I’M NOT SURE IF I’M DOING IT RIGHT

We use coaches, mentors, and trainers for all types of skills we want to improve: our education, our job performance, our public speaking skills, our finances, our cooking skills, our relationships, learning a language, and learning an instrument. When we want to get better at something, rather than reading through infinite information online, we find someone who can boil it down for us and teach what we NEED to know. 

This is where a fitness coach can come into play. Most coaches have spent years learning and practicing how to improve people’s bodies and health. Much like you’ve done with your craft (whether it be graphic design, IT, real estate, marketing, engineering, teaching, family-raising, anything), they’ve learned from mistakes and experience to get better and help more people. 

But you’ll want to be picky when choosing someone. Make sure they’re certified through a reputable organization. Classes and degrees are also very helpful. How long have they been working in the industry? 

I HAVE A _____ (knee, back, shoulder, wrist, hip, neck, ear) INJURY

Injuries definitely suck. They take us out of our routine and make us afraid to try certain activities. Some injuries are more severe than others, but using an injury or arthritis as an excuse to be sedentary isn’t doing yourself any favors. Many common injuries (low back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain) can be improved, or possibly rehabilitated completely, by proper strength training. First and foremost, getting a medical professional’s evaluation is important. This should lead to a treatment plan like physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage therapy - something that can attempt to get to the root of the problem. 

If you’ve seen a physical therapist and they couldn’t “fix” your problem, don’t give up. See a different therapist with a different approach. Or try a chiropractor. There are many avenues to aid your recovery. It would be great if every injury was the same and every therapist could use the same strategies to fix it. But sometimes injuries can be complex, and it can take time and several different methods to see real improvement. Don’t give up. 

You can also work around injuries. This is where a certified coach comes into play. They can give you alternatives and form adjustments to take pressure off your injury. There are very few injuries that leave someone completely unable to exercise, so stop using this as an excuse. Most injuries will benefit from careful movement and strengthening. 

I ALWAYS GET INJURED

Injuries can certainly happen during your training. If you train long enough, you’ll probably experience a strain or a sprain. While it’s not uncommon to experience minor setbacks, you don’t want this to be the norm. If you always seem to get injured, try to figure out why. Is it the training program you’re following? Is it too one-dimensional, leading to imbalances and overuse injuries? Is it your form on the exercises? Are you putting yourself at risk by using incorrect technique? Or are you not spending enough time on recovery (sleep, stretching, foam rolling, nutrition, hydration)?

This is another situation in which a certified coach could be helpful. They should be able to design a plan that helps improve different aspects of your health and fitness, not just your “butt and gut” or your “beach bod.” They can give feedback if you’re working too hard without enough rest or not working hard enough. It’s always beneficial to have an unbiased opinion. 

Your coach can also help improve your form and make sure you’re executing movements properly to limit the risk of injury. 

I GET BORED WITH MY WORKOUTS. I LOSE MOTIVATION.

Motivation is one of the biggest challenges people face on their fitness journey. Everything is fun, and you’re crushing workouts for the first few days, weeks, or months. But then something happens. You get sick or injured or take a vacation. Or work gets busy, or your personal life gets too stressful. Then you fall off track. Getting back on is the hardest part. 

In addition to life events, another factor affecting motivation is boredom. Maybe we can develop an awesome workout routine that pushes us and feels good. But after a couple of weeks of the same workout, it’s easy to get bored with the repetition. Using a fitness coach or some type of group class can be a huge help for this. A coach can help mix it up. You don’t have to think about what you’re doing for that day. Just show up and follow the workout. 

Surrounding yourself with like-minded people might be your most powerful weapon when it comes to long-term adherence. Whether it’s a supportive spouse or friends, joining a running group, or finding a fitness club where you truly feel cared for, you need support to help stay on track. You can only go so far on your own when it comes to fitness and health. 

As much as we want to believe we can do it on our own, there will come a point where our motivation starts to dwindle. That’s natural. It happens to everyone. But what will your next move be? 

It’s crucial to have some type of accountability. It can come from a fitness coach. It can come from a workout buddy. It can come from your spouse asking if you’re working out today. 

It doesn’t take much - just another person (or persons) interested in your success. This is where group workouts can be a huge benefit. Instead of walking into the gym at a random time, you have a scheduled appointment. You have a date and time that you have blocked off your schedule. You’re much more likely to put forth a strong effort when you know exactly when you’ll be training, you have a properly designed, balanced workout laid out for you, and you have people expecting you to be there. Most people don’t realize how far they can go with a little outside accountability. 

PERSONAL TRAINING IS TOO EXPENSIVE

Personal training is not cheap. As much as you want to view it as an investment for your future, it may not fit easily into some people’s budgets. There are a few ways to work around this dilemma. 

You can hire a coach for a “program design.” A common way to do this is to hire a coach for a 1-on-1 session each month. The coach can assemble a program for you to follow that month (expect to pay an extra fee for their time putting together that program). In your 1-on-1 meeting, they can review the program and show you the proper technique for any movements you’ll need help with. This approach usually works best for people with a high level of personal motivation since almost all workouts will be done independently. It also works best for people who already have experience with a lot of basic strength training movements since you won’t have a coach next to you to help with form. However, paying for one session (probably closer to 2-3 sessions when you include the program design fee) will be much more affordable than three sessions per week with the coach. 

Another option is to look at group training. There are many different types. Some include massive classes, where you don’t get much attention and can get lost in the crowd. This may work well for some people. Other training studios work with smaller groups, allowing for more individual attention when working on form and making modifications. These classes usually run at a fraction of the price of 1-on-1 sessions with a coach. 

But check out different options. Find what works best for you. Each person has different likes/dislikes and training styles that suit them. Don’t be afraid to try several options. 

CONCLUSION

The bottom line is that there will always be an excuse not to get into shape. You can live your life constantly falling back on these excuses. But your body and your health don’t care what obstacles are in your way. Chronic illness and diseases don’t make exceptions for people with lots of excuses. We NEED to take care of ourselves if we want to live long and healthy lives. Rather than waiting for the right time, we need to take action and take the first step toward a healthy and happy future.