Excuses. Stack ’em up.

~ Live & Learn

exercise, excuses, illustration, work-out, gym, fitness, fit, zen habits, leo babauta, run, running, diet

#3: My job takes my time and energy. #4: I’m too tired. #14: The weather sucks. #15: I AM NOT MOTIVATED.  There we go.  They are on the table.  My excuses not to exercise (again).  Leo Babauta @ Zen Habits wrote a recent post titled 15 Great Excuses Not to Form the Fitness Habit that has lingered with me.  He lists 15 excuses that have blocked him from exercise – along with his “excuse blasters.”  And of course, I’ve added my commentary…

  1. I don’t have the time. (DK: No. Can make time.)
  2. I have kids, dude. (DK: No. Not at home. Not any more. Sigh. SIGH.)
  3. My job takes my time and energy. (DK: Yes.  So do it in the morning.)
  4. I’m too tired. (DK: Yes, but please. Do something.) 
  5. I’m sick or injured. (DK: No, thankfully. Often, return back to this NY Times article on nagging injuries.)
  6. My family isn’t supportive. (DK: Never.)
  7. The gym is too expensive, or too far. (DK: No. Gym membership…been there, done that. Get outside. Missed this post?  Worthy – 27 Rules for Conquering the gym.)
  8. It’s too hard. (DK: No.  Do Something.) 
  9. I don’t have the right equipment/clothes. (DK: No. JUST DO IT.)
  10. I’m not good at it. (DK: No.  Do something. Please do something)
  11. I don’t know how. (DK: No Do Something.  Who cares?)
  12. I’m not strong, fast, flexible. (DK: No. Strong enough.  Fast enough. Not flexible at all – who cares. Often revert back to this NY Times article on stretching.)
  13. I hate running. (DK: No.  Don’t love it but don’t hate it either.)
  14. The weather sucks (too cold, rainy, hot, etc.). (DK: Yes, I’ve used this sorry excuse.  But can do it inside and still don’t do it.)
  15. I’m not motivated. (DK: YES.  This one is the most frequent recurring excuse. Check out Leo’s post where Leo does a nice job in “blasting away #1 to #14…But Leo, where’s the solve for #15, the Big Enchilada??????)

Image: Marc Johns

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37 thoughts on “Excuses. Stack ’em up.”

  1. You need to do it stay healthy (DK: I KNOW..not a good enough reason)
    You would be really ticked at yourself if you shortened your time with your family by one second (DK: Ok, Mim, you got me there).
    You are motivated Dave, you’re just too busy talking to yourself. You’ve proven that you can carry on a conversation while running – so…
    Bottom line – you just matter too damn much to too many people to not consider them a good enough reason to get up. I know this to be true.

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    1. Laughing. I looked at time stamp. You didn’t even have to think 3 seconds to nail me with that. Wow. You are like a coiled spring. And here I felt bad that you were still recovering from surgery. You can still pop off while medicated.

      #16: You spend too much time talking to yourself and there’s not enough time to exercise. (DK: YES. Leo! Intervention required.)

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      1. There’s just something about you pal – you are like the flip side of my coin. Ok, you’re male, I’ve never met you, I wouldn’t recognize you if I tripped into you – but it doesn’t matter. I just have the same conversations in my own head – with the same lack of success and subsequent self-flagellation. Just one of those universal surprises – just consider me an irritating yacking blue jay just sittin’ on your shoulder. And yes – my capacity for popping off when medicated is family legend. 😉

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    2. Yes. that was way too early. I must stick to reading in the middle of the night.
      You probably wanted encouragement.
      “Atta boy, Dave. You can do it. Just stick with it.”

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  5. My dog requires a LONG walk every day. Rain or shine. The truth is, I require that walk too. When I don’t want to do it, he just looks at me and I melt. We are both better off.

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  7. I assumed this was directed at me to point out how lazy I was about exercise. I certainly never thought David Kanigan was uninspired. You have me feeling very guilty now, so I guess I should make an effort to exercise more than my keyboard fingers.

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    1. Incorporate exercise In your daily routine don’t drive when you can walk. Pay attention to posture whenever possible. When you lift or carry someting exercise with it. This way if you give in to a really good excuse you will have gotten some exercise in spite of yourself anyway, eh?

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  9. ROFL! I am with you Dave because even I come up with thousands of excuses when I am not in a mood to do something. Hilarious Man.

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  11. These are sadly familiar. I am trying to do four days every week. GAH. So easily boooooooored. Hate the gym. Hate (truly loathe) fluorescent lights. I spend my workday tethered to a machine (computer) so doing it to be healthy at the gym….shriek.

    I have tried to create an appealing mix of activities: walk, bike, hike, golf (even 45 mins at the driving range is exercise), dance class, Zumba, pool aerobics. It took me a while to figure out what will actually make me exercise — being outdoors (Yaktrax! Buy them today) in all weathers, great music and/or being with friends. Anything else is torture.

    Do it now! 🙂

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