Honestly: do you really want to lose those pounds and achieve a leaner body? Do you want to wear clothes that won’t look unflattering on you because of the love handles and flabby arms that you try to hide?
Well, guess what? You have it – the desire to lose weight and be lean. For beginners, however, it might be difficult to live a healthy lifestyle when you have been used to eating whatever you want whenever you want to without any regular exercise. The only way to get past this is to have discipline and determination to achieve your goals.
Still, there are many factors why some women simply cannot continue exercising. The excuses go on: they have no time; it’s too expensive to go to they gym; they don’t know where to begin; they need a workout buddy but they can’t find one; they feel lazy; they don’t like the haggard appearance that comes with working out; etc. etc.
Get over those excuses with these top tips!
“I’m too busy to workout!”
Think about it: celebrities who have tight and hectic schedules still find ways to incorporate exercises into their weekly schedules. Besides, you don’t necessarily have to spend an hour or so in the gym. In fact, studies show that short and intense workouts are much more effective than steady hour-long workouts. You can even do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) like Tabata, for example, which only lasts for 4 minutes!
“Darn, I can’t afford a gym membership!”
Wait a minute… who said you need to go to the gym to trim that waistline or tone those abs? Yes, the gym and other workout venues have advantages in terms of their machines and other amenities, but you don’t have to limit yourself to those things. Go the old school way and train at the comfort of your own home or at a nearby park (if it isn’t raining, of course). There are a lot of YouTube workout videos out there that you can take full advantage of and follow in place of using workout equipment, as well. My personal fave YouTube workout videos are by Cassey Ho. She is AMAZING!
“I don’t know if I should just do crunches or also lift weights or maybe just do cardio.”
First things first: spot reduction is, again, FALSE. You can’t get Marian Rivera abs by doing 300 crunches a day. If your goal is to lose fat, do cardio in the form of jogging, cycling, or even just jumping jacks. You can even dance in your underwear if you want to!
On the side, you can also do strength training through bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, free weights, or weight machines. Take your pick! Building muscles helps burn more fat, after all. You can also alternate cardio and strength training for 5 days, and then turn the remaining two days of your week into rest days. Rest days are very important for muscle recovery!
“I need somebody to go with me…”
Then by all means, invite your friends, your officemates, your partner, or whoever you can influence to work out with you. The more, the merrier! It’s fun to workout with friends because the competitive air makes you push harder. If there’s really isn’t anyone available, though, you have to be the independent woman that you are and get moving anyway! Just consider it as me-time and the chance to surprise others once all of your hard work finally pays off!
“Ugh, I just want to sleep. Exercise is tiring.”
Well, dear, we can’t do anything about exercise being tiring. That’s just how it goes! But here’s the deal: the more you train your body to do a specific exercise, the longer you will eventually be able to endure it. That’s why there are workouts for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Don’t jump into advanced workout routines yet if you’re not used to working out, though. Remember: your only competitor is yourself, so don’t try to reach the level of those who can already do 30 push-ups right away. Just always push, push, and push as far as you can! I have times when I feel lazy working out, too; but the moment that I start, I know that I’m doing myself a favor and I always feel better afterwards!
“I feel so ugly when I work out, like, ew, is that me?”
Do not get insecure by models who post their always-fab-and-fresh workout pictures. I don’t know about being fresh, but I believe that if you worked your ass off in the gym or wherever you did your workout, you will be sweating a lot, and fresh is the last thing you would be.
Maybe they just really look good that even if they’re sweating, they have that post-workout glow? Or maybe they took their photos before their workout? Either way, don’t mind them too much and just do your best to work out and push yourself to the limit. You should exercise to lose great in the end and not look fresh while you’re doing it anyway! 😉