Exercise excuses

Stop making them. It's time to get off the couch and get with a fitness program. Consider this : Y ou don't need a gym membership to shape up.

By SALLY ANDERSON, Times Correspondent
Published December 19, 2006

Are you a perpetual procrastinator when it comes to fitting exercise into your life? Or could you be one of the estimated nine out of 10 people who actually begin an exercise program, only to drop out within six weeks?

Though this is the time of year when many envision beginning an exercise program with the intent of shedding unwanted "holiday pounds," the majority of these people will find excuses to actually undertake any exercise.

We need to find motivation so we can take charge of our lives and move forward. Internal barriers that typically stop us from beginning exercise programs include:

- I don't have enough time. This is the No. 1 barrier to exercise commitment, and it often is to cover up our insecurities. It seems we can always find time to do the things we really want to do. If exercise hasn't been a part of your life, it is easy to keep it on the back burner.

The reality is that exercise does not have to take large blocks of time out of your busy day. Researchers at Southwest Missouri State University reported that subjects who divided their workout into three 10-minute sessions lowered their levels of triglyceride (fats in the bloodstream that can lead to clogged arteries) more than those who exercised for a continuous 30 minutes.

- Too tired to exercise. Many people feel they are too stiff and too tired to exercise. Au contraire. Movement has curative powers when it comes to increasing your energy level.

When we become hungry, we eat. When we become tired at the end of the day, we know we need a good night's rest. But when we become stiff, tired and achy throughout the day (provided it isn't the flu), we can benefit from some kind of physical movement. The more sedentary you are, the more tired you will become; exercise can remove those tired feelings more than a nap.

- I'm too weak to lift weights. You do not need to be strong when you begin to lift weights: You will be lifting weights to become strong. Begin gradually, with perhaps just 1 or 2 pounds.

Older people's muscles are just as responsive to weight lifting as "younger" muscles. Lack of muscular strength leads to inactivity, which in turn leads to more loss of strength. But improving your strength can improve your quality of life and make everyday tasks easier to perform.

- Lack of money for gym workouts. Researchers from Pennsylvania State and Harvard universities found that fitness predicts happiness more than do finances. And, there are many exercises that can be performed without going to a commercial gym. Just plain walking briskly will give you your cardio workout, and there are many ways to improve balance and strength. For instance, check the "kitchen exercises" at right.

If you haven't been active or if you have physical limitations, check with your physician for what type of exercise may be good for you. "With advanced old age, the benefits of exercise appear to become more universal, so that it matters less what activity you do, as long as you engage in some exercise," says Dr. Ross Andel, assistant professor in the School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida.

If you are 50 or older and have not been exercising, check with your physician before beginning any exercise program. Sally Anderson, a trainer, is happy to hear from readers but cannot respond to individual queries. Write her in care of Life Times, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

[Last modified December 19, 2006, 11:01:02]