Exercise Excuse 5: “I Just Don’t Like to Move.”
“There are people who really enjoy not moving,” says Gerard Endress, fitness director of the Duke Diet & Fitness Center. They prefer to knit, read books, or watch TV. “I work with those people on, ‘Can you walk in the mall?'” he says.
If it’s sweating you don’t like, you can get a good workout without perspiring excessively, Endress says.
You can work out indoors where it’s air conditioned. You can swim so you won’t notice any perspiration. Or, try a low-sweat activity like gentle types of yoga.
If exercise hurts your joints, try starting by exercising in water, recommends Brunett. The stronger your muscles get, the more they can support your joints and the less you’ll hurt. If your physical limitations are more serious, check with your local sports medicine or rehabilitation clinic, or find an athletic trainer who can help you figure out exercises that are still safe and easy to do.
If you don’t like to move because you’re uncomfortable with your weight, start with an activity that’s less public, like using an exercise video at home. Walk with nonjudgmental friends in your neighborhood while wearing clothes that provide enough coverage that you feel comfortable.
And remember that gyms today are different. “You don’t have the Spandex gyms as much,” says Endress. Women-only places may be more comfortable.