Top 6 Excuses & Solutions for Not Working Out

According to exercise experts, it is recommended that individuals take part in moderate to vigorous exercise, plus strength training each week. Sadly, only 23% of adults ages 18-64 in the United States reach that benchmark.

We all know how easy it is to come up with reasons why NOT to workout. From “I don’t have time” to “I can’t stay motivated,” there are plenty of excuses that we can justify as to why we don’t want to workout.

The Yes.Fit team has come up with the top 6 excuses around why people justify not working out, as well as solutions to help you combat those voices in your head.

Excuse to NOT workout #1: I need to be motivated to workout

Ooh, this is a good one. If you’re not wanting or needing to lose weight OR you don’t think your overall well-being is enough of a motivation, then here are some ways to keep you motivated.

Solutions:

Track Your Workouts: Individuals tend to stay more motivated when they can visually see their activity levels. Seeing progress can give you a feeling of accomplishment, which in turn increases motivation. Overall, fitness trackers can inspire and boost the effectiveness of the workout. Don’t have a fitness device? No problem! Yes.Fit has an integrated tracker right in our app, so you can keep a log of all your activities and see how fast they add up. Seeing that progress alone is enough to keep you going.
Reward Yourself: Giving yourself some props once you’ve completed a workout is surely a way to keep you motivated, you just need to be mindful of what that reward is. Treating yourself to a massage or pedicure is one way, but be careful of rewarding yourself with indulgent foods. Of course, you should not cut out the goodies, but be careful, as you can’t outrun a bad diet. Physical, beautiful rewards that you can display in your home are a great way to show off your hard work! You can earn unique medals, coins, t-shirts, & more when participating in a Yes.Fit virtual race! Most races are available to the public - including fundraising races.

Excuse to NOT workout #2: I can’t afford a gym

According to Run Repeat, the US average annual gym membership cost is $507 for the first year. The cost then drops to $479 for the succeeding years because you no longer pay any enrollment fees. Seems expensive, right? Well, here are some more affordable solutions:

Solution:

Join our VIP Membership: We have three memberships and they all not only save you money but are far more affordable than the average gym membership.
Our Annual Membership is only $120/year and right now we’re offering new members a VIP box (valued at $80) that is included with the membership.

Benefits include:

Over 100 Digital Races 20%
Discount on Rewards and Merchandise
Exclusive ClubVIP Group with Contests & Prizes
Exclusive Member Only Webinars with Top Health & Wellness Experts
Over 75 Fitness Challenges
Access to On-Demand Exercises
Early Access to Most Yes.Fit Events
Access to VIP Members Only Events

Even if our membership plans are too expensive, you can still sign up for free! Some races and fitness challenges are free to join, and we have many awesome rewards that are affordable.

Excuse to NOT workout #3: I don’t have time

Whether you’re a full-time employee who also has children or have other time-consuming day to day responsibilities, working out can often take a back seat when it comes to a super busy, demanding life.

Solutions:

Exercise as a family: Simply start by taking family walks each night before or after dinner. Helping your family members understand the importance of a regular exercise routine, will set great examples for your children. If you don’t have kids, then make it a date to exercise with your partner, even if it is something small. Not only will it be good for you, but can bring your family together.
Find out how to make time: Making time to work out is essential to keeping it a part of your regular schedule. Even something as simple as adding a note in your calendar that you will workout can keep you motivated.
Workouts that save YOU time: What if we flipped the script and told you that we have workouts that are not only effective but also can be done in 20 minutes or less? From No Equipment Needed workouts to Beginner and Intermediate fitness challenges, we have various workouts that can get your heart pumping, while also saving you time.

Excuse to NOT workout #4: Exercise is boring

Do you think dancing is boring? I doubt it. The key to not believing in this notion of exercise is boring is finding something you love to do that can meet your fitness level, even if you’re just starting. Also, diversifying your routine is the solution to not only beating boredom but also making sure your body doesn’t get used to a certain workout.

Solutions:

Find fun workouts! Not sure what those are? Here’s something you can start today! Join Yes.Fit and sign up for our Dance Challenge. Yes.Fit's rhythm-based fitness program. Join our dance fitness instructors Fernando and Alexia as they salsa, merengue, and more through 6 weeks of dance routines! You'll learn new choreographed movements based on Latin-inspired music. Let your feet move and your hips sway as you dance and sweat through 6 different themed dance challenges
Pick a race, any race - and you don’t have to run it! Find a theme that inspires you. If you need an extra boost of inspiration, then pick any one of our non-profit races, like Dolphin Discovery, Sea Turtle Exploration, or Man’s Best Friend. Each of these races not only has amazing rewards but also portions of the proceeds are donated to the non-profit, so you can do good while feeling good working out!
Exercise with a friend: Having a workout buddy can keep you both accountable and can also make the time go by faster. You can always join a virtual race together, so if you are striving for the same goal. Once you’re done, you can sign up for another race around another theme to keep you motivated!
Make fun playlists to listen to!: Yes.Fit often curates playlists to go with a certain race theme or fitness event, so if you aren’t sure where to start, pick any of our virtual fitness playlists on Spotify!

Excuse to NOT workout #5: I’m too out of shape. I can’t even begin to think about working out!

It is a natural and easy response to avoid something that you’re not used to. If any of those excuses are in your repertoire, then start small, very small if needed.

Solutions:

Start Small with Yes.Fit’s The Challenge Series (TCS): The Challenge Series are mini races where you start with a virtual race that is one mile and then can build up to a 15-mile race.
Get on a bike or jump in the pool! Bicycling and swimming are great exercises for people, no matter how old you are. These two activities are also easy on your joints. You can bike or swim to any of our races. Simply connect your fitness device and BAM - you’re off to the races!

Excuse to NOT workout #6: I can’t stick with a program.

If you set goals that are too lofty, then obviously it will be challenging to stick with them. Again, you need to start small.

Find a program you can stick with: Whether you need a small fitness challenge to start with or a virtual 5k to start your fitness journey, we have your back. Our Total 14 Challenge is a great way to jumpstart your workouts. All you have to do is sign up, and follow it day by day. Each workout is ONLY 20 minutes or less.
Let Yes.Fit’s Team of Experts Guide You: Our customer experience team is here to help. Reach out to us, by either clicking on the green bubble in the bottom left of the screen, if you’re on a browser or go to the settings within the app and click “help and support.” If you need ideas on what to do as far as a race, fitness challenge, or exercise based on your fitness level, our team can suggest a bunch of programs to get you started!

The little voice in your head will always come up with an excuse so you feel justified by not working out, but research constantly has shown that working out can not only make you feel great but can also reduce your risk of depression, anxiety, help improve your sleep and also lower your risk for developing several commonly occurring cancers.