Is There Such Thing As A Valid Workout Excuse?
If you’ve never come up with an excuse to avoid working out, then you’re a liar! We’ve all done it; we’ve all had a reason up our sleeve to convince ourselves that we can’t head to the gym.
Some of these excuses are just downright stupid! In a way, we know they don’t fly, but we use them to mentally convince ourselves that we’ve made the right decision.
However, this does raise a good question; is there such thing as a valid workout excuse? Well, let’s take a look at the most common ones out there and see if they’re genuine reasons to avoid a workout or just complete rubbish!
I Can’t Get To The Gym
This excuse tends to fall into two different categories:
- I can’t get to the gym because there’s isn’t one nearby
- I can’t get to the gym because I can’t afford a membership
Either way, it’s a solid excuse to tell yourself. For some people, this seems valid as there genuinely might not be any way of getting to a gym. So, in their minds, this is why they can’t work out or exercise regularly.
The problem with this excuse is that working out and going to a gym doesn’t need to go hand in hand. You can exercise anywhere – literally anywhere. All you need is enough space to lie down, and you can get in a decent workout of sorts. There are tonnes of home workouts out there that you can follow – some trainers even have full plans devoted to people who can’t get to a gym.
I know what’s coming next; I can’t work out at home because there’s no space and I can’t make a lot of noise. Fair enough, go outside instead! Companies like I Want a Personal Trainer uses Sutton Park as a Gym – you can go to any open space near you and use what’s around you for a workout! Some parks even have outdoor gym areas that you can take advantage of. Even something as simple as doing a few sprints up a hill will give you a decent workout.
In case you haven’t already guessed, this excuse is invalid. You don’t need a gym membership to exercise and stay fit; there are so many alternatives. Heck, you can even get started right now with this home workout:
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I Don’t Have Any Time
Again, this excuse feels like it could be valid when you say it to yourself. How can I get a workout in when by day is packed? I’m up at 7am, then I’m in work at 9am before getting home at around 6pm. At this time, I need to eat dinner, then there’s no time left at all.
Realistically, it only takes ten or fifteen minutes to get a decent workout in. There are HIIT workouts out there that can be done during a lunch break or before you get ready for work. Wake up an hour or half an hour earlier to get your workout in. Have a big lunch in work and snack afterward, so you don’t need to eat dinner as soon as you finish. Instead, you can exercise for a bit and then have your dinner.
Even if you get a ten-minute workout in at the end of the day, it will still benefit you! Plus, you don’t need to work out every single day. 3 to 5 times per week is more than enough. As such, two of these workouts can come on the weekend when you have lots of free time. So, you only have to find 15 minutes on a couple of weekdays – it’s not that hard.
Yes, you might get a day or two where you are far too busy to workout. But, it’s not a valid excuse to avoid working out completely – there’s always time if you actually make time.
I Have An Injury
Injuries can happen to anyone – even if you don’t exercise. You could slip on the pavement and hurt your back, you could sprain your ankle in heel, and so on. When an injury occurs, it’s seen as a reason to avoid working out.
Right, this is an interesting one as I do believe injuries are a valid excuse to avoid workouts. However, it’s only a valid excuse to avoid specific types of exercises.
For example, if you hurt your ankle, then you can’t train legs. If your shoulder is injured, then you need to avoid any workouts that involve your shoulders. But, you could still do other bits of exercise that target the healthy parts of your body.
In reality, you should let an injury heal before going onto rehab work. So, in some cases, this might mean you can’t work out for a period. In this scenario, you should still make an effort to eat healthily and be as active as your injury lets you.
I’m Sick
I’m going to come out and say it, this is a valid workout excuse. If you’re sick, then you should focus on recovery. Don’t put your body through the excessive strain of working out – let it rest. Drink plenty of fluids, take your medication, and allow your body to return to full strength.
There are plenty of instances where people have tried to fight through sickness and gone for a workout. In reality, they just make themselves even sicker – particularly if they go to a commercial gym that’s full of germs!
If you’re sick, then you’re allowed to take a bit of a break. Put your feet up, make yourself better, then get back to it afterwards.
So, is there such thing as a valid workout excuse? Yes, it some scenarios there are legitimate reasons to avoid working out. Being sick is one of them, and having an injury can be another. But, too many people use excuses like being busy or not being near a gym. Excuses like this aren’t valid as you can make time for a short workout and exercise anywhere! So, unless you’re sick or injured, then there’s not really an excuse to stop you from working out regularly.
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