Out & About November 2017

OA fitness

Most people can easily convince themselves that they can’t do something because... VICKI BROWN gets candid and perhaps a little cruel to be kind, as the old saying goes, and points out that there are no reasons why you can’t adopt a healthier lifestyle

I n all aspects of life, many of us will make excuses as to why we haven’t or can’t do something. Of course, there are always ‘excuses’ or things crop up that we can’t avoid, but I know there is usually an alternative. It may even be that the excuse is a reason to say you can’t when in fact you can. I want to help find some solutions to some of the most common excuses: Excuse: I don’t have the time to workout. Solution: You need to prioritise a little time each week. People often think that a workout needs to take 1-2 hours every day. This is not true. In just a few minutes you can have a great workout, use your body, get your cardiovascular system going and feel great. If you break down 24 hours into the work, sleep, travelling and eating that you have to do, it is likely that you will find there is a little spare time if you plan it for exercise. If you were to add how much time each day you spend on social media or watching the extra episodes of the latest boxset and used a few of those minutes to workout instead, you would feel much better for it and most likely start to feel fitter, stronger and healthier if you keep it up. Excuse: I don’t have the time to eat healthily. Solution: You need to be prepared. If you prepare by having the right food in your fridge, freezer and cupboards, eating healthy can be super quick. A quick and nutritious breakfast – such as eggs or porridge – can be cooked in under five minutes, or precook food the night before.

Prepare your lunch in advance so you don’t miss out. As for dinner, as Jamie Oliver has demonstrated in his many cook books, there are numerous dinners that can be cooked in less than 15 minutes. If sometimes you can’t prepare, it is much easier nowadays to go into a shop and make good choices and still have a healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Excuse: It’s too expensive to eat well and/or have personal training. Solution: You need to consider all your costs. When you see how much personal training and healthy food costs, it can seem extravagant. Calculate how much you spend on food currently, including takeaways, coffees and alcohol. If you stopped buying those things as frequently, you will find the healthier food will cost little more than you were already spending on other items. Few things are more important than health, and the food that you eat and movement that you do plays a big part in that. The knowledge that you can gain from a fitness professional can last a lifetime. Excuse: It’s too dark and cold to go out for a workout/walk/run now the clocks have changed. Solution: You can exercise at another time of day or somewhere different. There are many alternatives that allow you to regularly workout. You can go out for a walk at lunchtime or complete a workout at lunchtime. If you prefer working out in the evening, and you normally workout outside during the summer months, it may be worth joining a gym over the winter period.

Another alternative is you can workout at home, whether it’s a HIIT workout in your living room, getting on the treadmill, bike or rower that you got last Christmas or doing a weights routine that you can follow weekly, give another option a try. As a personal trainer, it is my goal to help people feel happier, stronger and more confident in themselves. I know the importance of making good choices each day to achieve results and this often begins with realising what is holding you back and finding a solution. I hope that this is food for thought, because once the excuses stop, things start getting done and the results can be exciting. I guess it comes down to how much you want it. So, stop making the excuses, find your solutions and start achieving the goals that you have set yourself today.

Motivate.Believe.Achieve Personal trainer Vicki Brown is the founder of LiveFitNow, based in Wash Common. For a free consultation, more information and links to online home fitness videos, visit: www.LiveFitNow.co.uk

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