FITNESS MYTHS and EXCUSES YOU CAN'T STAND!!!

There really are people out there who have no time to workout.

Most of the time my husband is working 12-15 hour days 7 days a week. He has deadlines to meet and a lot of times taking a break to go to the gym for two hours means he comes back to 50+ emails and it sets him back days. The longest "break" he will sometimes take is the 15 minutes it takes to walk the dog and that's only so that he can get out of the house and get some air.

It's not an excuse it's reality. He has customers who he services. No service = no money period. They won't take a "Oh, sorry. That's going to be late because I have to go to the gym." excuse. They'll simply stop using him, find someone else to get the job done and not recommend his services which would put his company out of business.

Wow, this is the most judgemental posting zone I've seen here in a long time! Did this turn into MyFitnessTroll?

Perhaps it would be a little more helpful to those who are starting/struggling/not quite got their shxt together on the fitness bandwagon if people would share the myths and excuses THEY PERSONALLY relied on and HOW THEY OVERCAME THEM!

Complaining because someone else says they "don't have the time" only makes those of us who are currently struggling feel more on the outside --- like theres a river between us and I can't find the bridge.

Etc Etc

You sound like me about the time thing, except I have 2x2 yr olds who need their mommy too. I feel for you. My gym also opens at 5:30...work at 7 etcetc and then I feel like crap for the rest of the day...

Once got used to it, you'd feel better during the day. Just say'n. I workout from 4:30-6, work from 8-5.

I used to work out 9 times a week from ages 14-22. If I didnt get used to it then, I wont be getting used to it at age 32!

I was talking about the time of day! I played NCAA sports as well.

To those of you with "no time" commentary, are any of you full time working moms of small kids? Because seriously. Before kids I worked out 2hrs, 4 times a week. Now Im lucky to get 3x45minutes in. I truly dont have time to get the huge results from lots of time spent in the gym before I had my twins. Sure, I can prioritize gym over doing laundry and making my kids healthy meals, but that wont really help me in the clean undies and healthy kids dept either. I dont watch TV or mundane items like that either.

Single mom?

Married, but not much help when as we speak Im on the east coast and he is on the west coast for work!

I used to be a NCAA DIv 1 swimmer, I know how to exercise and I like it. Im not overweight, the only time in my life I was overweight I was 9 months pregnant with twins. Im really really good with my diet. Its depressing not being able to put the extra gym time in, I do get some, just not anything like I used to. I just dont like being told that I really do have time and my priorities are not straight. Im just having a sensitive female moment, all the menfolk can roll their eyes now :-)

Wow. Now I feel bad for the snark. Hmpfff. First time for everything, I guess.

To those of you with "no time" commentary, are any of you full time working moms of small kids? Because seriously. Before kids I worked out 2hrs, 4 times a week. Now Im lucky to get 3x45minutes in. I truly dont have time to get the huge results from lots of time spent in the gym before I had my twins. Sure, I can prioritize gym over doing laundry and making my kids healthy meals, but that wont really help me in the clean undies and healthy kids dept either. I dont watch TV or mundane items like that either.

I work out from 4:30-6am, get ready for work, get my 4 and 2 year old out of bed, dressed, in the car and drop them off at daycare to be at work by 8. 35-40 min commute.

you want a cookie?

Absolutely.

Just showing it could be done, if they're willing to put in the time.

Chronic movement chain problems often resulting from overcompensation or poor posture are almost always at the root of chronic pain.

Cracking and popping are a sign of swelling, something isn't moving right.

Ankle inflxibility, calf tightness, poor hip mobility, joint knocking, weak feet, and poor glute activation (many people have flat out forgotten how to use their butts due to a lifetime of sitting) are the root cause of chronic knee pain for many, even if those root causes were prompted by injury.

With the shoulders, take this simple test. Stand up and hold a pencil/pen in each hand lightly, arms naturally by your sides. If those pencils were lasers, do the beams cross, and where? If they cross it is a sign of hunched shoulders whose root causes include poor t-spine mobility from hunched sitting all ay, overdevelopment of pressing strength relative to pulling strength, and/or poor scapular control. If these lasers would cross only a few feet in front of your body, the angle of your upper arm bone in the shoulder socket almost guarantees that any overhead work will eventually cause the snap crackle pops and pain.

All issues that arise from posture, mobility, strength imbalances can be fixed.

For squatting, face it, before the invention of the outhouse, full depth a2g squatting was the only way to go to the bathroom. All of our close relatives in the wild (and/or zoos) and our young children squat full depth all the time.

I have problems with my shoulders because I carry too much boob. Blunt, but that's the fact. I've been evaluated by several physical therapists and I suspect that my shoulder problems are linked to my back problems. I've been told several times now, by several physical therapists, that my back muscles are weaker than the muscles on my chest (because of my heavy chest), so the chest muscles are essentially pulling my shoulders forward. The last PT evaluated my right shoulder blade for popping I was having, actually jumped back when it popped out, told me some medical term for it, and said that the muscle that is supposed to hold my shoulder blade down isn't doing its job because it is too weak. She also went on to say that she'd seen it before, "but never to this degree, I can actually get two fingers under your shoulder blade". I've been told the popping is bone moving against cartilage. I've been working for months to strengthen my back muscles, virtually ignoring my chest muscles because I need my back to be stronger than my chest or I'm going to get a hunch. My shoulders come forward sort of like a spoon, but my right shoulder is a full inch more forward than my left one. Months of upper back exercises haven't really given me any visible results, but I keep at it and correct my posture all throughout the day when I feel myself slouching and I do the "shoulder blade pinch" thing the physical therapists have all taught me to do on and off all day long. I don't, however, use the foam roll along my spine to let my arms hang out (I guess to "open" my chest muscles) because I don't have access to one of those right now.

As for squatting, I'm not saying it's unnatural (I think you're thinking of the person's original post about "who uses that anyway"). I'm just saying that it causes me pain, my lower body is pretty solid, I've got some fat on my thighs I'm working on getting rid of, but purely speaking about muscles, where my back muscles are probably the weakest of any human being, my lower body muscles are about as solid as they can be. I've always had strong legs though, and I fenced in college (lunging and fencing stance make for strong lower body), also, my "go to" machine at the gym is the arc trainer, which works my thigh and hip muscles as well as providing cardio, I love that thing. Something about the motion of a squat causes my knees problems, despite having a very strong lower body.

When people eat processed sugary junk and their excuse is "I need the sugar", ipjewfdalojwlfjlwjhlwdclwdjciq NO.

Thanks but if, god forbid I ever blow my knees out in some unforeseen accident I think I'll take my sports physician/physical therapist's advice and opinion first. flowerforyou:

Be a good idea to get a couple different opinions on the subject from different docs and not trust one guy.

Many of them very much agree with me.

Wow. You're really going to debate this to the very bitter end aren't you? Sorry I didn't specifically say that I would get other opinions. My point is that I would take the opinion of someone who probably knows more -- INCLUDING my good friend who knows very respected and trusted PT's -- rather than someone on the internet who's credentials are unknown to me.

Sure. Most people DON'T get second opinions though.

I was told by a doctor I had arthritis of the knee and shouldn't squat or do other high impact knee activities.

A couple years later I've made a miraculous recovery and have fixed myself (reading medical journals and whatnot, articles from other doctors who didn't agree with my doctor's POV), coming to find out in the process that my doc was a lazy idiot who diagnosed arthritis because my knee hurt (protip - (O) arthitis doesn't hurt, it is secondary consequences from the arthritis that hurts). I no longer have arthritis, and never had it to begin with. I had a lot of tendon issues that arose due to other, correctable reasons.

It comes down to never believing that you can't do something. Only in rare cases can you not solve a problem.

Just reiterating my intial point. Most of the people who say to squat to fix knee problems have actually fixed their own knee problems by squatting. And many of these people that fixed their knee pain by squatting were told by doctors NOT to do so and were previously resigned to a lifetime of knee pain.

If you beleive that you can't, you won't.

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The only time I can think of to "suck it up and deal with the pain" is when I did a really hard workout and my muscles are sore. If I feel as though ANY of my joints are going to blow apart when doing an activity I typically err on the side of caution and stop.
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When my muscles are sore from a hard workout .. I poke at them all day. I dunno. I like that pain.

You have to analyze your pain. Feel it, experience it .. I ask my boys (14 & 16 yrs aol, hockey and lacrosse players) "Are you hurt or are you injured?" If you're not injured, then suck it up and get out there for your next shift.

Yes, there is a big difference between muscle soreness and real pain.

"If you eat right, you don't need to exercise."

"Cardio is overrated."

Um, wrong. You can eat right all you want, but that does nothing to improve your fitness. Cardio does more than make you look good, it provides a whole host of health benefits (cardiovascular system).

So, yeah, if you don't value your body or health, just focus on "eating right."

Personally, I do cardio because when the Zombies come, I plan on outrunning ALL OF THEM.

And I like to be healthy. My husband and I encourage each other all the time because cardio is good for the ticker.