Most people fail at exercise. Only a small percentage of people even undertake to exercise at all, let alone succeed in accomplishing their exercise-related goals. I do not mean to be a downer here. These are facts.When I ask new clients about past exercise failures, the same two reasons tend to come up: time and money. "I've never had time to exercise," "I could never afford to go to a gym or have a trainer in the past," and "I feel like exercise is a stupid waste of time and money" are all direct quotes from new clients (all of whom are still currently with me). Here's a quick reality check: exercising at home is free, 15 - 30 minutes of exercise per day is sufficient for most people to at least maintain health, body fat and strength levels, and the researchers from Harvard that coined exercise "the magic pill" for a plethora of health problems would likely disagree with the idea that it is a stupid waste of time and money.So, what's your real reason?Every so often, I will meet a new client who, guard down, authentically lets me in. "I just have no idea what to do when I am in the gym," "I feel dreadful about the idea of people watching me," and "for some reason, I just can't bring myself to do it" are also direct quotes from new clients (all of whom are also still currently with me). Knowledge and confidence are the real barriers here, and I believe them to be the two biggest ones for most new exercise participants.Here is the good news: knowledge leads to confidence. Slowly but surely, authentic exercise knowledge, accumulated over time and acted on repeatedly, will generate the confidence it takes to actively participate in exercise for as long as you genuinely wish to do so. Here are the best ways to accumulate knowledge in exercise:Ask an exercise professional for some advice. Make sure, however, that they are genuine in their knowledge. My best recommendation is to search out someone who has been through either the George Brown Fitness & Lifestyle Program, has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, or (my personal preference) has taken courses through the Resistance Training Specialist Program.Invest In Time with These Professionals. Exercise professionals at Striation 6 are available from anywhere between $30 and $200 per hour. We have curated our team this way in order to create one-on-one exercise consulting accessible to as wide a range of economic and health populations as possible. Investing in time with a genuine exercise professional will help take you toward the knowledge and confidence necessary to participate in a successful exercise process for as long as you desire to do so.Merely do it. I learned this concept from Seth Godin, and it is different than "Just do it". Just doing it is not enough. By merely doing it - exercising - you are taking the first steps towards asking the right questions. However, in merely doing it, you are also humbled to the process of learning and open to being educated about your best course of action.Approach exercise as a process; start slowly and easily, and progress in small steps. Time and money will always be factors to consider in your decision-making. But, with the right knowledge and gaining of good confidence, they ought not stop you from succeeding in exercise.Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5Cancel ratingYour rating: None5Average: 5 (1 vote)Rate
