Excuses are the biggest obstacle to improving your health and well-being. 

I’ve not got my trainers; my head hurts, the boilers on the blink, or one of our favourites …I would, but my sister’s friend’s mother’s grandpa’s brother’s grandson’s fish died! Does that sound as ridiculous to you as it does to us? 

We’ve all made excuses; some are believable, some not; regardless of how creative you are with your excuses, you’ll usually feel pretty rubbish as you know in your heart it’s an excuse. 

“I can’t get sweaty; my fake lashes will fall off.” 

But why are we making excuses? Why are we not jumping at the opportunity to do something that improves our health and well-being? What is it that we are avoiding? Excuses are, after all, merely obstacles we manufacture in our minds. Assuming the goldfish is, in fact, still swimming happily around its bowl! 🐟

However, the act of making an excuse isn’t something we have grown into. Excuses are something engrained in us from a young age. Hands up, who blamed the dog for eating their homework or blamed mum for not washing the PE kit on a rainy day? Excuses have always been and will continue to be our way of protecting ourselves to avoid feelings of anxiety, stress, or pain. 

“I’ve forgotten my air pods. I can’t possibly workout.”

Air pods are, of course, not essential gym attire. However, what the excuse represents is understandable; it’s about self-preservation. Why put yourself in a situation that you fear will be uncomfortable? Why would you want to leave the comfort of your couch, the familiarity of binge-watching another episode of Netflix, to embark on something that could cause stress and be uncomfortable for all intents and purposes? 

The gym is our ‘Fear Zone’, and when faced with challenge and uncertainty, we retreat to our comfort zone, a warm space filled with familiarity and one in which we feel ‘in control’. We want to go to the gym, but at the same time, we are scared, and the predictability of our learned behaviours makes it too easy for us to postpone our goals.

“The diet starts tomorrow” hands up if you’ve said that one in the last week. 🙋

However, if you stay in your comfort zone, you will never experience the ‘growth zone’, a place of self-discovery where you can realise your dreams and achieve your goals. It is by pushing through those icky phases that we learn the most. 

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

Yes, there are times when skipping a workout or class is in your best interests, and we would certainly not advocate exercising in ill health. However, if you’ve just had a long day or it’s starting to drizzle outside and you don’t want to get your new gym kit wet, you need to power through.  

We have all struggled with overcoming fitness excuses; everyone battles the temptation to quit; the key is to not succumb to them, put Eastenders on record and get laced up! 

So, what makes the gym a ‘Fear Zone’? What is it about going that we fear? 

Do you have a stereotypical image of a gym engrained in your mind? A daunting room full of overcomplicated equipment and super-fit people fresh from the covers of men’s health. As someone who has just popped the Quality Street Tin down after a month of overindulgence, that is a real fear, and it’s no wonder that goldfish is suddenly looking peaky. 

“I need to lose a few pounds before I go back.” 

You won’t believe how many times we hear that one! 

However, it’s perfectly natural to want to protect your self-esteem; not everyone is body confident. We don’t want to feel negative about ourselves or look bad in others’ eyes, so we create excuses to mitigate the chances of that happening. We are simply disengaging ourselves from the prospect of pain and embarrassment.

That’s rational enough; by making excuses, we protect our self-esteem and self-confidence. However, we are also declining an opportunity to improve our health and well-being and to give that self-esteem and self-confidence an almighty kick into 2023.

Be confident Active Nation venues are filled with people just like you, who set themselves a New Year’s resolution to exercise more, lose weight, or prioritise their health and well-being. 

There is no dress code for the gym; it doesn’t matter if you’ve been before. What unites us is that self-belief and courage that we can be the change we want to see in ourselves.

Or are you worried about how to use the equipment?

Or maybe you’ve joined this month online and you are feeling anxious about getting started in the gym. There’s nothing like the worry of falling at the first hurdle to stop you in your tracks. 

Or has your enthusiasm for working out stuck in 2022? Achieving fitness success is all about consistency. It won’t happen overnight; you need to be committed to the cause, dare to continue and have the self-belief that you can achieve your goals.

If you made a new year’s resolution to improve your fitness, lose weight, or generally feel happier and healthier, don’t let excuses stand in your way. 

The Goldfish will go on to swim another day. 🐟

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” Sean Patrick Flanery