As a Personal Trainer that’s been involved in the fitness industry for over 15 years I’ve heard pretty much every excuse as to why someone cannot workout or as to why a person cannot do a particular exercise. I’ve met people at social events who’ve told me that they can’t train with weights because they suffer from chronic lower back pain. I’ve had consultations with potential clients who tell me they can’t squat because they have bad knees. I’ve had clients cancel their own sessions last minute due to a mysterious illness that just so happens to occur an hour before their scheduled workout, even though they’ve been feeling fine all week. Now by no means am I saying that none of these are valid reasons as to why not to workout. Oh no wait, that’s exactly what I’m saying and here’s why.

Without sounding like some preachy, annoying, overenthusiastic fitness junkie I would like to explain to you as to why I believe that everybody should workout on a regular basis. And you can forget the pep talk about a ripped midsection and bulging biceps, these might be nice side attractions that one can achieve through training consistently however neither have anything to do with this blog. I want to get real here. I want to talk simply about the facts. I want you to fully understand as to why exercise itself is so important and not just for your self image but more so for your overall quality of life.

Let me start by asking you something. How often do you get sick? And by sick I mean really sick. So sick that you are bed ridden and unable to go to work or even go to the store to get some medication for yourself. Now think for a moment as to how long it usually takes your body to recover from the common cold or flu. Does it only usually last a day? A few days? A week? Perhaps you never feel fully recovered and always seem to feel rundown.

Now think to yourself how often do you workout? And by workout I mean how often do you do physical exercise. This can be anything active from swimming to weight lifting to running. How often do you challenge your body to go beyond it’s physical limitations?

The one thing I’ve noticed over the years is that people who are not consistently physically active seem to get sick or feel run down quite regularly. These people also seem to suffer from other health issues such as diabetes, obesity, joint pain, muscle strain, arthritis, tendonitis and not to mention heart and many other cardiovascular diseases. Another thing I’ve noticed with people who are not active on a regular basis is that they seem to be quite negative at times. Perhaps this negativity has something to do with always feeling rundown or in pain however many of these people always seem to be complaining about something.

Now just for the record I’m not saying that all people who don’t workout or exercise are miserable and unhealthy. I’m simply stating that in my experience with working with the general population that these are some things I’ve noticed about this particular group of individuals. However if you find that you yourself are constantly feeling sick and/or rundown and want things to change then I’m going to suggest something that will not cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, physiotherapy and chiropractic care. So are you ready for my big secret as to what I believe keeps people strong, healthy and happy? Here it is:

EXERCISE!!!!!

Okay, I’ll admit, the lead up and foreshadowing to my big secret was not very suspensible. However I don’t care, I just want to deliver my message to everyone. And that message is very simple: Exercise and physical activity will not only make your body strong but it will also make your immune system strong as well. The stronger your immune system is the less likely you are to get sick. Now by no means am I suggesting that squatting in the squat rack is going to prevent dementia. And I don’t think running on the treadmill can cure cancer. I do however believe that by keeping both your body and your mind active on a regular basis that your odds of developing serious mental and physical diseases are greatly lessoned.

The one thing I notice with people who exercise and workout on a regular basis is that we rarely get sick. And when we do get sick, the virus that enters our bodies seems to leave just as fast as it came. I also notice that people who are physically active seem for the most part to be happy, positive and productive individuals. For myself personally working out is not only a hobby, but it’s also become a way of life. I rarely go more then two days in a row without doing some sort of physical activity. Now sure part of me does this for vanity and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t. However for the most part the reasons why I workout are more for both my mental state and overall health and well being. I like feeling good and full of energy everyday. I like not having to rely on caffeine or processed sugary foods to elevate my mood to become more awake and productive. I like that I rarely feel sick or rundown and when I do it never seems to last longer then 24 hours.

If you’re someone who chooses not to workout or become physically active that’s completely your prerogative. However if you are someone who is not active yet seems to always feel tired, sore and somewhat depressed at times then perhaps it’s time you reexamine your views on exercise.

So rather then saying you cannot workout because you suffer from chronic back pain, maybe the reason you suffer from chronic back pain is because you don’t workout. And perhaps the reason you can’t squat is not because you have bad knees but the reason you have bad knees is because you DON’T Squat. And maybe you are too sick or tired to get in a quick training session. And maybe you are just too sick and tired because you are not making the time to get in your quick training sessions enough.

So before you go spending half your paycheque on massages, adjustments and a year’s supply of Tylenol and Cold-Fx you might want to consider becoming more consistent with both your training and your diet. After all, a gym membership can cost as little as $40/month. If you don’t have the motivation to workout on your own then join a group fitness class. Training in a small group can be both motivating and cost-effective if you are working with a tight budget.

There are plenty of excuses that we can make as to why not to do something that we really don’t want to do. Very few of us are able to find the reasons as to why we should do it though. When it comes to exercise to me there really are no excuses. To me exercise is a means to a better life. Quite simply if I want to live a better life then I’m going to continue to exercise. Therefore I only have reason.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove