Fitness isn’t something that just happens to you; it’s a choice. And in order to make that choice, you need to trust yourself. If you’ve been making a series of disappointing efforts to get rid of unhealthy wellness habits, you’re not going to suddenly get it right with the next effort; you need to take a look at your mindset. Insecurity or a lack of self-esteem is like a termite that can erode even the strongest of wood and cement foundations from within, impacting not only your emotional wellbeing, but your fitness goals too. To get past these barriers, you need to understand what makes you suck at being fit.
1. You Don’t Have Enough Time to Exercise: This is a mental barrier that, in reality, has no foundation. Sure, you’re busy, but are you really that busy? When you think you have no time to exercise, you’re actually trying to convince yourself that you have no time. It’s possible to make time for fitness, even if it’s only a little bit every day. Can you really not find 10 minutes for fitness?
2. Exercise is Boring: This is a common mental barrier that is used by people who have never exercised before. However, if you’ve never done something before, how can you know it’s boring? If you have exercised and gotten bored, it could be because you were going about your exercising in the wrong way or you chose an activity you didn’t enjoy. There are countless ways to exercise and lose weight, so don’t limit yourself to one option and then quit when your eyes glaze over.
3. You Only Live Once: This seemingly positive barrier makes you think you’re entitled to eat what you want, whenever you want, but this is actually quite a dangerous way to live. Even if you’re not a fitness freak, the odds are that you want to live a long, happy life – even if it is just the once – and you need to be fit and healthy in order to do that. Moreover, people who adopt this mindset often turn to food as a reward or source of comfort, but you need to find emotionally healthier ways of dealing with your problems. An unhealthy relationship with food – in which you associate it with feeling better – is not only bad for your health and waistline, but also your mental wellness.
4. You’re Afraid of Getting Hurt: While you may actually have a physical or health condition that precludes vigorous activity, does having a health condition preclude healthy eating? There are exercises that people can do in spite of pre-existing conditions, so you should speak to your doctor about a personalised exercise plan. If you don’t have a health condition, then being afraid of getting hurt may be an emotional driver. As well as physical injury, you may be lacking the self-confidence you need for such a challenge that will test your discipline.
5. You’re Too Old/Young to Worry about Fitness: Exercise is important, whatever your age. Fitness helps prevent a variety of health concerns, and research shows that the earlier the start you have on your fitness journey, the better that journey will actually be. That said, it’s never too late to do something about your health and so your age should not be a major barrier. After all, diet and exercise can always be tailored to each individual.
6. Fitness Programmes are Too Expensive: While this mental barrier may have roots in your actual life situation, that doesn’t mean that you have to give up on fitness. Not all fitness programmes need to be expensive – going for a run or creating your own at-home workout with the help of the internet is free – so this is basically a cop-out.
