Roadblocks, hurdle, obstacle, limitation…call it what you will — at some point in time, you have had to overcome something to reach your fitness or weight loss goal.  A perceived “lack of time” is the most common excuse for not exercising and/or dropping out of an exercise program. In my experience, a perception that there isn’t enough time to exercise is directly related to level of interest in either the activity, or in changing health behavior to the degree necessary to achieve lasting results.

Other barriers to PA commonly listed include:
* Lack of motivation
* Parenting responsibilities
* Lack of energy
* Health problems (older women are more likely to have a chronic health condition, such as arthritis, for example, that limits their participation in some forms of exercise.)
* Lack of financial resources
* Gender stereotyping (women who believe that child rearing and domestic chores are ‘women’s work’ are less likely to take time to exercise – perhaps because they feel guilty taking time out for themselves.)

Overcoming Barriers

Follow these tips for removing your barriers to physical activity:

1. Enlist support in the form of a spouse, friend, neighbor or co-worker. Having others “on your side” will go a long way toward helping you stay motivated and focused on your fitness goals.
2. Learn a new skill. If you find yourself saying, “I’d try that new class, sport, etc., if only I knew how to do it,” then perhaps it is time to enlist the help of an instructor or trainer who can help you learn. In other words, you don’t have to go it alone — there are skilled professionals who can help you learn a new skill, thus increasing your self efficacy for participating in a new activity.
3. Map out your workouts every week. Writing down what you want to accomplish each day, in advance, will increase the likelihood that you’ll stick to your guns and do it.
4. Treat exercise as an important appointment that can’t be negotiated, moved or canceled. You won’t skip brushing your teeth for lack of time, would you?
5. Turn off the TV. Seventeen hours per week are wasted watching television, on average. That is over two hours per day! Could you use just one of those hours for exercise?

These are just a few tips to get you thinking about ways you can get past roadblocks. For more information, visit the CDC page, “Physical Activity for Everyone.”