If you work out regularly than this article may not be for you. I would like to talk about what keeps people from really committing to exercise so if you are already committed to it, well, let me just congratulate you. Unfortunately, though, you are a small portion of the population and it is such a shame.
I spend time really trying to figure out what holds people back and I have several theories. First and foremost though, I believe that most people think that you either are the 'type' of person who works out or not. This could not be further from the truth. There is no 'type'.
All too often when people contemplate starting to work out they look at it as more of a change than it really is. After all, you are you and that is not going to change just because you start to take care of your body and your health. If anything changes at all it will be that you are a happier, stronger, prouder you, not a different person altogether.
The problem is that fitness publications and many gym ads show us something we feel we are not a part of and frankly don't want to be a part of. We see unrealistic images that have nothing to do with being healthy. We see people obsessed with their body image at all costs and who needs or wants that?
For the person just looking to start working out this is very intimidating and quite a turn off. The fact of the matter is that the average person who is working out is just that, an average person working out, not a freakish looking muscle head or a swimsuit model wannabe. We are people who want to make improvements on our most important piece of real estate, ourselves. We want to be healthy and strong and feel great and have energy. If our body's appearance improves as well, and it will almost all of the time, than that is great too, but it shouldn't be the sole focus of why you work out.
I think another common deterrent is the fear that you will not be able to make the changes permanent so why bother. We live in a society where most people struggle with making healthy lifestyle changes, it can get tiring. Maybe you've tried this before and been disappointed, you've 'fallen off the wagon' so to speak. After years of failed attempts it is understandable that you are now gun shy and the easiest thing to do is just do nothing because it is safe and you can't fail at nothing, right? Well, you can't succeed at nothing either and let's face it, doing nothing is depressing.
Deep down I know you have the desire to get healthy, get strong and feel good. Don't do yourself the disservice of giving up, you deserve more than that and it is available to you, you are in control of whether or not you succeed at this, no one else. We have become an extremely unhealthy nation and it makes me sad and it makes me mad. It allows people to let themselves go and not even feel badly about it because it is so common. Everyone is out there making excuses so why not you, right? I'll tell you why not, because this is your life and it matters and you want to get the most of it and live and enjoy a long and healthy life.
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