Your Excuse: "Working Out is SO Boring! I Hate It!"

The Excuse Buster: Exercise is a crucial part of every weight loss program, especially if you want to enjoy long-term success. But how many times have you suffered through grueling, painful, or boring exercise activities? Perhaps you tried to force yourself to take up running, and limped home vowing never to do it again. Or maybe you thought joining an expensive health club would inspire you to stick with a workout routine, and ended up paying several hundred dollars for a membership you used only sporadically?

Exercise doesn't always have to be unpleasant, and I'm going to share a simple way to find physical activities that you will truly love to do and make them a permanent part of your life. Grab a sheet of paper and a pen, and begin making a list of the physical activities you used to enjoy, or enjoy even occasionally now. Have you always loved to go dancing? Do you enjoy refreshing walks in the park? Do you love playing with your children or pets in the back yard? How about window shopping at the mall? All of these activities and more can be turned into fun ways to stay active.

Not only is it important to choose activities you will love, but you may also want to consider the times of day when you naturally feel most energetic. Do you have a hard time crawling out of bed in the morning? If so, forcing yourself to exercise at that time may not be the best idea. Do you seem to get a boost of energy in the late afternoon or evening? Try to incorporate most of your physical activity during these times. If your schedule won't allow a full workout during the time you are naturally most energetic, try including smaller bursts of activity in your normal routine. For example, use your morning or afternoon coffee break to walk briskly around your workplace, or find a local health club to visit during your lunch hour.

When you make exercise a fun and fulfilling activity and focus on how good you feel during and afterwards, you'll be honoring your body's natural rhythm and therefore be much more likely to stick with it for a long time to come.