Body Exercise excuses busted

Too tired/busy/ bored to work out? Here are six ways to flip your fitness fib.

“I don’t have enough time!”

You’re busy, obviously. But the time is there, says exercise physiologist Laurent Bannock. “We should do 45-60 minutes of physical activity a day, but not necessarily all at once. A 20-minute walk to work, a 30-minute Spin class at lunch, 10 minutes taking the stairs: it all adds up.”

“It’s boring”

When you lose your exercise mojo, even washing dishes seems more appealing. So it’s a question of motivation, says fitness pro Zanna Van Dijk. “Exercise to improve your health, or try something new.” But always make it fun.

Try dance-based aerobics classes or aerial yoga (visit aerialyoga.co.za and virginactive.co.za for info). “Making workouts enjoyable will help you stick with them,” Zanna explains.

“I don’t do Lycra”

One in four of us hate how we look when we exercise. But let’s face it, most people are too concerned with their own jiggling to care about yours. “Find brands with pretty bras and stylish leggings and tops,” says Zanna. Try mrpsport.com for top buys.

“Feeling kit-confident can improve motivation,” explains Joanne Henson, author of What’s Your Excuse... For Not Getting Fit? (WYE Publishing, R300). “If you feel good, you’ll feel energised.”

“There’s no point”

“Breezing through the same 30-minute regime day after day won’t transform your shape,” says Zanna. “Your body adapts, so your progress can slow down. Mix up your training with short intense intervals to elevate your heart rate and keep your body guessing.”

A fitness tracker, like the Polar A300 (R2 223 at polar.com), tells if you’re in the fat-burning zone.

“I suck at sport”

“You’ll improve quickly if you stick with it, and that’s rewarding,” says Joanne.

As a novice, Grace, 22, worried that she wouldn’t keep up with experienced cyclists. “I decorated my bike with flowers so that everyone knew that I was doing it my way, at my speed. You don’t need to be amazing – just do something,” Grace insists.

“I don’t glow – I sweat!”

For 63% of us, sweating is our most embarrassing issue. “Sweat regulates your rise in body temperature when your heart rate rises,” explains Joanne. “It can also have the same effect on skin as a facial – pores enlarge and surface dirt and dead skin cells are cleared away,” reveals dermatologist Dr Virginia Hubbard.