Three words to overcome fitness excuses: No. Matter. What.

I spent the last few days at a soccer tournament for my daughter. After four days of being fan-mom in all kinds of weather, over 14 hours in the car and every kind of cheese you could imagine (I was in Wisconsin), I arrived back home around 8:00pm drained, bleary and constipated. I could see the sun going down, and with it my motivation to fit in a run in the last few minutes of the day. I had promised myself five days of exercise this week and the first of those days was this day. As I walked up to my room to change into running clothes, I saw all kinds of reasons not to start, to postpone this event until tomorrow. The children I hadn’t seen for four days. A family that was hungry. Clothes to put away. Work to do. An inviting, familiar bed. Then, the three words that have changed my life.

No. Matter. What.

Yes, that is my face after running those 40 minutes. My body ached and my breathing was labored. Yet when I finished I knew I had done the right thing. I was living my best life. A no-matter-what life. Every day, I am faced with hundreds of reasons not to take the first step out the door. And every day I have one response.

No. Matter. What.

These are my TWELVE excuses I face or hear most often. What do you need to say “no matter what” to today?

• Fitness Excuse #1: I’m tired.

I think I have been tired before 95% of my workouts, at least since I turned 40. With kids, a business, friends, husband and a house to take care of, I’m probably going to be tired for another decade. My health can’t wait that long. And, most of the time, about 15 minutes into the workout, I’m not feeling so tired anymore.

• Fitness Excuse #2: I just came back from a trip.

The last thing I want to do is workout after returning from the road, but after sitting for hours on end, it’s probably the thing I need most. For the minutes between exiting the car or plane and entering my home, my mind goes into full combat mode, asking me over and over whether I REALLY want to work out. The answer? NO, I don’t. But I do it anyway and I always sleep better.

• Fitness Excuse #3: I am on a trip. 

When I travel, I have always packed workout clothes because I know I need to workout while I’m on the road, maybe even more so than when I’m home. I sit more, I drink more, I eat more and there is simply more stress away from home. Yet the process of starting a workout is so awkward. Hotels are never in workout-friendly locations. Who wants to walk or run along a highway? Sometimes the fitness facility is small or your favorite equipment is occupied. You might have jet lag and your normal workout time just doesn’t feel “normal.” I don’t expect the workout to be the caliber of my home workouts but I’ve learned, something is simply better than nothing and I do what I can. By the way, it really helps with that constipation. Yes, I said it.

• Fitness Excuse #4: I worked out really hard yesterday.

After a workout with my trainer, Natalie, I’m always a little stiff. She focuses in on one area and turns the screws to help me get results. The 8-mile run I do every few weeks generally leaves me feeling like my ankles don’t work as I walk up the stairs. Almost as soon as I open my eyes, my brain launches into action. You really are tired, I whisper to myself. Maybe you can take a break today and go after it tomorrow. The truth is, my body needs some sort of active recovery after those challenging days. The soreness is a signal—I need to get moving. And when I do, I generally feel better (at least afterwards).

• Fitness Excuse #5: I am hurt.

Part of moving—running and jumping and stretching and carrying and lifting—is injury. Hopefully it’s not a regular occurrence, but if you do anything athletic consistently, tendons will become inflamed and muscles may be strained. I don’t advocate you push much beyond those barriers—allow time to rest and heal. What you can do is find another way to get my heart pumping. Recently I strained my hamstring during a speed workout. Of course I tried to get out there and run the next day and my 44-year old body said, absolutely not! For the few weeks after the injury, I ran slowly and jumped on the stair climber. I can always keep moving in the right direction.

• Fitness Excuse #6: Somebody needs something from me.

Get in line, people. In my life, someone always needs something, whether it’s dinner, a coaching consult, or an e-mail response. If I used that never-ending task list as a reason not to work out, I would exercise once a month! That feeling of scarcity is dangerous—let’s take this scenario—work out vs. my children eating. The kids would always win. When I focus on finding a way to fit it all together, I realize the abundance available to me. Prepare a meal the night before or take a break in the middle of the day and throw a meal together. Get up a little earlier and fit some cardio in. Work out after it’s all done. It might look like a crazy schedule to some, but it’s crazier not to work out. Your body needs it.

• Fitness Excuse #7: I have work to do.

In a way, this is a subset of “somebody needs something from me,” but it’s worth separating out for discussion. When people see me work out NO MATTER WHAT, I often experience a bit of judgement. You are working out all the time! I don’t want to have to work out like that. Don’t you want a break? They imply my determination to exercise no matter the circumstances is excessive, borderline compulsive. We work over 8 hours a day. But in today’s culture, those 30-90 minutes a day somehow seem unnatural. Let’s get real: our bodies reveal our current need to sit and work all the time is unnatural. That’s why our hearts are encased in fat, our bellies are growing and our IT bands are tight. As committed I am to my work, I am committed to the machine that makes it happen. Hopefully I can get this blog done before my workout at noon. (It’s 12:33pm at this point. You win some, you lose some.)

• Fitness Excuse #8: I need my trainer.

If you have worked out with a good trainer, you understand the powerful connection that develops during the sweat-infused hour together. My trainer Natalie lead me into a healthier, stronger view of myself and my future. My weight and blood pressure is down and my energy and quality of life is up. We have moved from client and coach to lifelong friends and I’m grateful. She knows how to push me and create workouts that challenge my weaknesses and keep my looking and feeling more fit. But there are times when I am traveling and I can’t fit in a class. As word has gotten out about her talents, she can’t always make time for me, either. But no matter what, I can use the workouts I’ve gotten from her. I can utilize what I have learned. Sure, it may not be as good a workout as I can get from her, but I can always do something. I can always move forward in fitness.

• Fitness Excuse #9: I’m sad, mad, stressed, bored.

I promise you I don’t want to work out every day. When my bank account takes a momentary plunge, when a client isn’t happy with me, when my husband and I are in a fight, the last thing I want to do is take an hour out of my day to torture myself. On those days, my brain offers me a series of choices: work out or have a drink with a friend? Work out or go shopping? Work out or eat an amazing meal? Work out or watch a Netflix marathon? It’s in those moments I need to work out more than ever. My body is reacting, creating a physiological response to the stress in my life. My job is to not give into the stress, to create something immediate to focus on, and come back to deal with the challenge with a clear mind. Yes, that’s me in the back of kettle bell class with a scowl on my face. But I’m here and I’m getting stronger.

• Fitness Excuse #10: I’m gaining weight.

Like most people, I started working out to lose weight. But not because I wanted to fit into my skinny jeans. I have high blood pressure, one of the few negative conditions I inherited from my parents. The fat around my organs push my heart to work too hard. Initially I lost weight almost every week. And then I gained weight. My body got used to the workouts. I hit peri-menopause. The holidays came and went. The thoughts, what’s the use, it’s not working anyway, certainly influenced a few days and I could have remained at home. Then I realized, working out isn’t about losing weight. Losing weight is a byproduct of my diet and exercise regime. Fitness is about challenging myself and giving my body what it needs every day. And if I want to lose weight, I need to change it up and refocus my diet. Eat more vegetables! There are only 33 calories in a cup of kale! Twenty-five calories in a head of cauliflower! Eight-five calories in a cup of blueberries! I need to fuel my body with the best nutritients and get back out there.

• Fitness Excuse #11: My body isn’t changing. 

I have a belly. I also have really fantastic biceps and muscular legs but if you thought my belly would follow suit, you will be sorely disappointed when you see me in a bikini. If you are focusing on that ONE body part that you despise, I promise you will become discouraged very quickly. First let me tell you, there is no way to spot reduce your body. All the parts are connected and every athlete has at least one spot on their body they wish would get smaller, or build muscle. Get clear about what fitness is about: a necessary activity for a full life. Just keep doing the work. After all, I am more likely to reduce that belly with activity anyway!

• Fitness Excuse #12: I don’t know what I am doing.

Kettle bell swings, spin class, ball exchanges, Bosu ball workouts. Even though I had been working out for years, I didn’t know how to do any of it a few years ago. Each time I tried something new, I felt stupid. I wondered whether the other clients working out with my trainer were better than me. And every time I pushed through the unfamiliarity, I became stronger and more importantly—more confident. The options I’m comfortable with, the less likely I will get bored and stop working out. What should I learn next? I’m not a very good swimmer….

I look forward to a time in my life when I have time to do what I want. The kids will be gone, my husband will be retired, and I will “schedule” my workout each day. Most likely, that scenario is a fantasy. Nead Inspiration will continue to grow. My family will grow with more grandchildren. I’ll find new and exciting challenges to replace the space in my life. But now I know, I can do it. I can make space for my healthiest life.

No. Matter. What.

What’s your fitness excuse? Let me help you “reprogram” those thoughts and keep you moving in the right direction!