Finding Motivation to Exercise Tip 5: Stop Making Excuses

Posted by Rachel on Feb 13, 2012 in Exercise, general, Slider | 1 comment

Despite having grand plans to go for lots of lovely runs when I visited home last month, it didn’t happen. I just wasn’t organised and I didn’t plan ahead. My intentions were good, but I found myself using the excuse of being too busy to go running. I could have easily got out of bed half an hour earlier to exercise. Anyway, excuses got the better of me. I’ve promised myself this was a momentary blip and I’m determined not to let this happen in Indonesia. Sticking to exercise when you’re travelling is not the easiest task, but plenty people do it.

To beat your excuse making I think one of the most important things is to write down exactly when you’re going to exercise. If you treat it like you would any other arrangement you make, you’re more likely to stick with it. Having some kind of exercise routine, even when travelling, will help you to avoid making excuses. I’m planning to have set times in my day that will be dedicated to keeping fit. Sheryl at healthy women gives five ways to combat excuses and finding the motivation to exercise.

As Sheryl points out, it is important to create a good mental state to increase motivation. You might be very healthy physically, but if you tell yourself your tired, too busy and have better things to do then you’re more likely to do nothing. There is some good advice about increasing your mental strength to overcome common obstacles on Live for the Run. So I will be putting this advice to good use in Indonesia and for my half marathon training.

This Lean Journey is a travel and fitness blog written by a girl embarking on a journey around the world while still trying to stay fit and healthy. I hope you’ll enjoy my experiences and tips, and maybe even add your own comments and advice.