Posted Jan 5, 2012
Kids have been coming up with excuses to dodge gym class for eons.
So it should come as no surprise that as adults, people have become masters at finding reasons not to exercise.
Nevertheless, New Year’s resolutions to work off those holiday cookie calories make this the most lucrative time of year for the fitness industry and personal trainers.
A nationwide survey by the research firm Barna Group in 2011 found that the bulk of New Year’s resolutions are related to weight, diet and health.
Additionally, fitness clubs sell about 12 percent of their memberships in January, the highest volume for the year, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, which represents more than 10,000 fitness facilities.
But despite promises made and gym memberships paid, people still find excuses to weasel out of exercising.
“I generally see people make these resolutions and stop three weeks later,” said Dexter Tenison, owner of Memphis Adventure Boot Camp in East Memphis and Cordova.
Karen Moss, owner of Better Bodies Yoga studio in East Memphis, typically sees a jump of nearly 50 percent in clientele following New Year’s, she said.
However, fewer than half stay committed, she said.
Below, Memphis area fitness professionals offer solutions to some of the most common excuses for why people don’t work out.
Excuse: It’s too hard.
Solution: “A lot of people see (exercising) as an overwhelming thing, where you have to change every aspect of your life,” said Tenison, who has seen roughly 1,500 people of all athletic ability levels come through his boot camp program.
“People say, ‘I have to get on the treadmill an hour every day and not eat anything.’
“Make small adjustments each day. Going from nothing to just walking 10 to 12 minutes a day is a huge improvement. Then you start to jog 10 or 12 minutes, then maybe some crunches,” he said.
Excuse: I’m too stressed-out.
Solution: “That’s why you need to come in, to learn how to breathe,” said Moss of Better Bodies Yoga.
“Your body has accumulated stress, illness, body fat — you have to move through some discomfort to get back.
“Becoming more flexible is going to make us less stressed.
“Before I started yoga, I was a huge multitasker. But when you stop and are present, it changes your nervous system. It’s the only time you’re disconnected from the phone, the traffic. It’s a healing time,” she said.
Excuse: I don’t have time.
Solution: “When someone says they don’t have time, what they really mean is they don’t see the value of putting the time toward it,” said Neil Weaver, assistant department head of personal training for Lifetime Fitness in Collierville.
“What I usually ask is, ‘Do you watch a 30-minute TV program every day?’
“Everyone can carve out some kind of time, even if it’s 20 minutes.
“You can do things with your kids. If they’re an infant, get a running stroller. I bought one for my wife at a garage sale for $15,” he said.
Excuse: I can’t afford it.
Solution: “It’s difficult to say cost is a barrier,” said Richard Murphy, manager of exercise and movement at the Church Health Center’s Wellness Center.
Located in the medical district, CHC’s fitness facility serves a large spectrum of Memphians from the working poor to the extremely wealthy.
“Regardless of whether they have a gym membership or not, there are three things you need. First, find something that’s fun. Second, find something that gets you moving. Third, find something that gets you out of the house.
“Walking the dog is a cheap way to get exercise. If you like dancing, call a friend and go over to each other’s houses and dance.
“I find treadmills in the house usually turn into coat racks after a few months.
“It has to be fun or you won’t keep it going,” he said.
— Lindsay Melvin: (901) 529-2445
©2012 The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.)
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