9 tips on how to quit excuses and get back to the gym

Once upon a time in your life, you used to be more active, athletic and in good shape. You feel like you had more time for exercise before and you hit the gym more frequently. So, what happened? Like many others, you got a full-time job, got married, had kids and have a house with tons of chores to do. Now the gym time you used to have is consumed by other things. All these are the normal excuses you will always here from culprits.

Also read: 5 tips to keep fit and active

Don’t blame yourself. Life changes and our responsibilities increase as we become adults. However, this is not the time to give up your fitness goals. Do not let yourself say, “I don’t have time,” or “What’s the point, I’m too old.” It’s not too late; you can get close to (or in even better shape) than when you were younger.

The main components of getting back on track are attitude, effort and planning. I like to say, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” Personally, I have a family and an extremely busy job, and yet I always plan exercise into my week. Now, check your excuses and bad attitude at the door, and get going with these tips.

Excuse-proof tips on how to get back to the gym

1. Start small

Set a goal to exercise just one day for 20 minutes, and do not go too hard. If you have not exercised in quite some time, the shock to your body will leave you sore for days if you go too hard, too quickly.

2. Build up gradually

Once you get one day of exercise in, immediately plan when day No. 2 will be, and shoot for another 20 minutes or so. Your ultimate goal should be at least four to five days of exercise per week. If you train hard, you’ll need less than an hour per workout.

3. Variety is important

Be sure to include various types of exercise: weight training, cardiovascular and others.

4. Find the time

Pay attention to where you might be wasting time and where you can pick some time up. Do you watch TV for an hour a day? Are you on Facebook for an hour a day? Well …

5. Please remember your diet is a HUGE factor

Eating healthy and staying hydrated are a 100% must if you a truly going to do this.

Also read: 11 important healthy eating tips

6. Plan your schedule

Pick one day per week to plan out exactly when you will exercise during the upcoming week. If you work a Monday to Friday schedule, sit down every Sunday afternoon and plan out your week.

7. Move around

Have a desk job? Get up whenever you can and move around. Take a brisk walk and stretch during a break or lunch to get your body moving.

8. Find a partner to workout with you

Maybe a co-worker, or better yet your spouse or your children. You can build in some family time while you both accomplish a goal.

9. Do not give up!

As we get older, results do take a little longer to appear. Don’t be discouraged if you do not see results as fast as you did before. Keep at it and you will surprise yourself with the results you can achieve.