Confront the reasons you don’t exercise

We all want to be healthy and have a good quality of life. No one wants to be out of breath walking up a flight of stairs or live with constant discomfort from lack of activity or from a past injury that was never properly strengthened.

Unfortunately, there are too many people who find themselves in these categories, and the older we get, the more our health is associated with our quality of life. So why is it such a problem for most people to overcome these issues?

Let's break down the three main excuses holding everyone back: no time, no motivation, and no direction.

The most common excuse is no time. However, 95 percent of people who use the excuse "I don't have enough time" are lying to themselves.

Most people fall into a daily routine, and any alteration from the normal routine is met with resistance.

If you normally wake up at 7 a.m. to start your day, why can't you wake up at 6 a.m. and get a workout in? That may require you to go to bed a little earlier at night, so you will need to alter your normal routine, which can be difficult.

But ask yourself, how much of a priority is your quality of life and health? If you are spending time watching TV or on social media in the evening, you could easily limit that time to allow yourself to get to bed a little earlier.

That will allow for an earlier start to your morning and the opportunity to get your exercise in for the day.

If you are able to alter your routine to eliminate the "I don't have time" excuse, now you need the motivation to maintain it. Motivation is very individualized; what motivates one person may not motivate you.

You really need to sit down and make a list of what motivates you. After you have a list of five or six things that keep you engaged, you can better fit your personality to specific activities. If you like working out with others, you should consider group classes or even a team-orientated training plan. If you would rather train on your own, you may want to talk with a personal trainer. No matter what type of training you choose, the best motivation you can have is always seeing improvements.

The best way to see improvements is to have a plan or direction that gives you a process and a reason for what you are doing. Have weekly or monthly goals so you are always reaching for something. Goals will give you a sense of accomplishment and purpose in your training.

I always recommend having an event or race six to nine months down the road from when you start training. Committing to an event that seems just out of your reach will help keep you on track and will give you an end goal.

Choosing an event that fits your personality and training habits can make all the difference, so pick something that resonates with you: hiking the Appalachian Trail, a bike tour of Italy, an Ironman or maybe a local 5K.

It is easy to make excuses about why you can't do something. However, the things that really matter and truly make an impact in your life are the things that are difficult – and the most rewarding.