How I Actually Started Working Out (And Why Your Excuses Might Be Valid)
I walked into a gym for the first time in my life in my 40s, right in the middle of menopause and scared I was heading down the same path as the women in my family. Chronic disease and obesity have plagued my family for generations. The young salesperson was doing their pitch, and I was getting so frustrated and felt they didn’t understand and I almost walked out. But I stopped myself because I knew I needed to learn how to strength train, and this was the place to do it.
That’s what starting a workout routine actually looks like – messy, uncomfortable, and nothing like the motivational posts you see online.
Getting Honest About Your Starting Point
Here’s something I see often: we think we know what we can do based on what we used to do, or what we think we should be able to do. There’s actually research on this – it’s called ability illusion, where we overestimate our current capabilities.
I’m not saying you’re weak or incapable. I’m saying we need to be honest about where we are right now, not where we think we should be or where we used to be. Starting a workout routine isn’t about getting back to some former version of yourself. It’s about working with what you’ve got today and building from there.
Stop Treating Yourself Like You’re Made of Glass
Here’s where I need to give you that gentle nudge: you’re probably stronger than you think. Take my mum – she’s in rehab after being bedridden for days and losing her strength. She couldn’t do anything for herself at home. When she started rehab, she was probably expecting them to hand her 1-kilo weights and treat her with kid gloves.
Instead, yesterday she told me they had her lifting 4 kilos. “Mum,” I said, “you’ve got that much in your handbag.” She didn’t want to do rehab, but the alternative was a nursing home. So she’s sucking it up and doing the work – and getting stronger every week.
Yes, you might have arthritis. Yes, your back might ache. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything. It means you need to be smart about what you do. Work around your limitations, not through them, but don’t use them as an excuse to do nothing.
Let’s Get Real About What’s Holding You Back
“I don’t have time.” Look, I get it – life is genuinely busy, especially if you’re dealing with work, family, maybe aging parents or grandkids. But sometimes “no time” is really code for “I’m overwhelmed” or “I don’t know where to start.” If you can find 10 minutes to scroll your phone, you might have 10 minutes to move. It’s about figuring out what’s really behind the time crunch.
“I’m dealing with chronic conditions.” Whether it’s diabetes, arthritis, or other ongoing health issues, these are real challenges that affect how and when you can move. The key is working with your conditions, not pretending they don’t exist. Some days will be better than others, and that’s okay. Movement can actually help manage many chronic conditions, but it needs to be the right kind of movement for your situation.
“I have physical limitations.” Back pain, scoliosis, old injuries – these aren’t excuses, they’re realities that need to be worked around. The fear of making things worse can keep you stuck doing nothing. But here’s what I’ve learned: the right kind of movement often helps, while doing nothing usually makes limitations worse over time.
“I’m struggling with motivation.” When you’re managing pain or health challenges, motivation isn’t just about willpower. You’re tired, you’re dealing with real physical issues, and some days just getting through the day is enough. But small, consistent actions can build momentum even when motivation is nowhere to be found.
“I’m focused on losing weight.” Here’s where we need to shift focus from the scale to function and building consistent routines that support a healthier lifestyle. The scale doesn’t tell you if you’re healthy – it’s simply one measurement among many. Are you getting stronger? Do you have more energy? Can you climb stairs without getting winded? These matter more than a number on a scale.
The One-Size-Fits-All Problem
The fitness industry loves to pretend there’s one perfect approach for everyone. Trainers telling you to just “push through the pain” or follow their exact program without considering your individual needs. But when you’re dealing with back problems, diabetes, or arthritis like many of my readers, that advice isn’t just unhelpful – it can be harmful.
What I wish I’d known when I started is that you don’t need to follow someone else’s program. You need to find what works for your body, your schedule, and your daily life.
What Starting Actually Looks Like
Some days my exercise is completely disjointed. Ten minutes of heavy lifting, then run to school with the grandkiddos. Home for 30 minutes of work, then another 15 minutes with mid-size weights or out on the swing set. Back to work, maybe some jump rope later.
It’s never the same, and some days it’s really messy. Everything I’ve ever started looked messy and uncoordinated, and I focused on the action, not the perfection.
Building Confidence One Step at a Time
Here’s what I’ve learned: confidence doesn’t come from having the perfect plan or feeling motivated. It comes from taking that first step, proving to yourself you can do it, and then doing it again. Each time you choose to move instead of making an excuse, you’re building evidence that you’re capable.
That confidence spills over into everything else. When you prove to yourself you can do hard things physically, you start believing you can tackle other challenges too.
Forget the Perfect Plan
You don’t need a perfectly planned routine. You don’t need the right gear or the perfect time slot or to feel motivated. You need to move your body today. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s only 10 minutes. Even if your back is bothering you and you can only do gentle stretches.
Start where you are today, with what you’ve got. Your future self will thank you for taking action instead of waiting for the perfect moment that’s never coming.
Move Moment
Today, do one thing that moves your body — whatever that looks like for where you are right now.
