Comebacks for Every Excuse

by Jari Love
Excuses. We’ve heard (and used) them all before. But whether you’re too tired, too busy, or too lazy, we’ve got a comeback for every excuse you can think of for skipping your workout. Check ’em out!

“I’m a Night Owl, and It’s Impossible to Get Up Extra Early Before Work”
Comeback: Tone in just 30 minutes over your lunch hour. If you can never seem to sneak away from your cubicle during the day, try packing your gym bag the night before and bringing it to work with you. If you go home to change, you might be tempted to stay on the couch. And better yet, if you change at work, it will be a lot more difficult to walk or drive past the gym if you’re already in your gear.

“Everyone is Going Out for Drinks After Work”
Comeback: Suggest a gym date instead of drinks. It’s the new happy hour—and who doesn’t want to burn some calories while working up a sweat after a long day at the office? (Plus, you’ll have earned a cocktail by the time spin class is over!)

“I’m Too Hungover to Work Out”
Comeback: Bummer. We don’t encourage drinking until you get a hangover, but in the event that you don’t feel 100 percent the morning after your best friend’s bachelorette party (yea, we’ve all been there), drink lots of water and get movin’—light cardio is part of our one-day cleanse hangover cure. Just remember: Working out while dehydrated (i.e. hungover) can cause serious complications, so again, your best bet is to drink lots of water. Like, all the water.

“I Never Know What to Do, and I End Up Looking Silly or Wasting Time”
Comeback: Who cares what you look like? You made it to the gym! Still can’t get over your insecurities? That’s okay too—gyms and studios aren’t for everyone. You can do some awesome and productive workouts at home or in a nearby park. And you don’t even need to own weights.

“I’m Out of Town, and I’m Out of Town Basically Every Weekend”
Comeback: You don’t have to pause your weekly routine just because you’re living out of a suitcase. Try this hotel room workout or do a treadmill workout at the gym. Jumping rope is also a great way to squeeze in some cardio, and the tool is light and small enough to fit in your suitcase.
No workout facilities where you’re staying? Use a pedometer or step-counting app and take a walk on the beach or just explore the new city you’re in, and aim for around 10,000 steps throughout the day. Bike tours are another way to burn calories and sightsee at the same time.

“Gym Memberships Are Too Expensive”
Comeback: Kayla Itsines—the Instagram sensation. She proves you don’t need a gym to get fit wherever you are—for free! If that’s not enough, running is free and so are these free fitness classes. There are also 100,000 apps, as of December 2014, dedicated to your health and fitness goals. We like Nike+ Training Club for its workouts for all fitness levels, Sworkit for it’s high-intensity body workouts you can make as short as five minutes, and Spotify for it’s new running feature that finds your tempo and plays music to match. But mostly, Kayla.

“I Lit-er-al-ly Do Not Have One Free Minute In My Day”
Comeback: Yes, you do! Schedule your workout. You make time to do other things in your day, right? Treat exercise like an important meeting. If you can’t make it, reschedule for a different time of day, but don’t cancel. We’ll admit, there are days when we wish we had a 25th hour. (We take back what we said earlier about sleeping—you can go to bed seven minutes later if it means squeezing in a quick sweat session.)

“It’s Too Hot/Cold/Rainy/Windy/Dark/Light/Tuesday”
Comeback: If it’s too hot, do your toughest workouts indoors or early in the morning before the day reaches peak temps. Workouts in the water like swimming, water aerobics, and stand up paddleboarding will also keep you cool. And remember: Always wear sunscreen and drink lots of water!
If it’s too cold/rainy/windy… find an indoor track or take a spin class to get in some cardio. And don’t underestimate the power of a rowing workout.

“I’m Still Sore from Last Week’s Workout”
Comeback: Taking a rest day (or week in this case) doesn’t mean sitting on the couch. Active rest days of yoga, walking, and stretching will help you reap the benefits of your workout. Stretching immediately after your work out will also help.

“I’m Hungry”
Comeback: Eat something! Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels says your body needs sugar to exert energy and energy to perform at a high level. That doesn’t mean sitting down to a turkey dinner. Try a healthy snack such as a medium banana, oatmeal, or non-fat Greek yogurt 30 to 45 minutes before you start exercising.
Working out is good for your health—both physical and mental. It’s been touted as a cure for just about everything. Instagram and Pinterest are awesome motivators, as is setting goals for yourself. Maybe it’s running your first 5K or finally nailing that handstand scorpion pose in yoga. Either way, you’ll feel like a badass when you reach your goal, and who doesn’t want that? 

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.