5 reasons we don't exercise - and how you can get started

The latest Australian Health Survey shows nearly 60% of Aussies are sedentary or have low levels of activity. At the same time, most of us agree exercise is important whether to lose weight or to simply stay healthy.

Sitting less and being physically active regularly will:

• Reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes
• Help control blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels
• Prevent unhealthy weight gain and help with weight loss
• Create opportunities to socialise with other people
• Help improve your mood and mental state
• Help develop and maintain overall physical and mental wellbeing 

Knowing that - what are the reasons we don't exercise?

1. I don’t have enough time

You don't need to struggle for hours every day to reap the benefits of exercise.

In fact, the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend you do 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week or 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week.

If you aim to start easy that's just over 20 minutes per day of moderate intensity activity, like going for a brisk walk, a swim or playing social tennis or golf.

Our Total Wellbeing Exercise Plan is designed according to the official guidelines. Each session takes between 15 and 30 minutes and the plan works just as well for absolute beginners as experienced exercisers.

2. It's inconvenient

A decent exercise session can be done anywhere - during your lunch break, on the way to work or in front of the TV. It's not necessary to go to the gym to get your blood pumping. After all, gyms are a relatively modern invention.

We created our exercise plans with convenience in mind. You don't need any equipment at the basic level - all you need is your body weight and a couple of square meters of floor space.

Even when you're ready to step up from the beginner's level, all you need is a set of resistance bands or a couple of dumbbells (or soup cans or bottles of water!)

3. I lack motivation

It can be hard to find the motivation to exercise at the end of the day when you're already tired. Try to work around this. If you're too tired in the evening, clear out a half hour in the morning or during the day and see if that works better for you.

Research shows that people who follow a higher protein diet and complete 3 resistance exercise sessions per week lose 40% more than those who follow a high carb diet and do no exercise. That's pretty good motivation, don't you think? 

4. It's not fun 

We hate to say it but neither is heart disease, type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure! 

Instead of thinking of exercise as 'not fun', think of ways you can make it fun. Invite a friend along to join you in your exercise session or keep trying new types of exercise until you find something you love. 

Our exercise plans are super simple and can be done at home - for example in front of the TV while you're watching your favourite FUN TV show. 

5. I don't have the confidence 

If you've done little or no resistance training before it can be hard to see yourself as someone who is 'pumping iron'. The key is to start easy and build your confidence along with your physical fitness. 

We built our exercise plans with this in mind. In each session you'll do four different exercises so you can really focus on getting it right. At the beginner level you only do two sessions each week. The videos are easy to follow with on-screen instructions showing you how to do the exercises properly. 

Learn more about the Total Wellbeing Exercise Plans