100 Excuses Not to Exercise (And Why None of Them Are Valid)

By Andre Thomas, NASM CPT | The F.I.T.T. PIT | May 8, 2026

You've used at least a dozen of these. I've heard them all. In 13+ years of coaching over 2,000 adults in Boston, I've kept a running list of every excuse not to exercise that's walked through my door. And after all that time, my conclusion is the same: not one of them actually means you can't train. They just mean you've decided not to.

Why you keep making excuses (and it's not laziness)

People make excuses because the default setting is comfort. Your brain is wired to protect you from effort and discomfort. That's not a character flaw — it's biology.

But here's what that same brain won't tell you: the discomfort of not training compounds. Missing one class becomes missing a week. Missing a week becomes two months. And two months of not showing up starts looking like "I used to work out."

A study from the University of British Columbia found that exercise significantly reduces anxiety and improves mood — the exact things people claim they don't have enough of to work out. The thing you need to feel better is the thing you're avoiding because you don't feel good enough.

So no, it's not laziness. It's just a habit you've built that tells you "not today." The fix is building a different habit — and showing up whether you feel like it or not.

The 100 excuses (in no particular order)

These are real. I've heard every single one.

1. I'm too tired.
2. I don't have time.
3. I'll start Monday.
4. I just ate.
5. I didn't eat yet.
6. My knee hurts.
7. My back hurts.
8. My shoulder hurts.
9. It's raining.
10. It's too hot.
11. It's too cold.
12. I don't have the right shoes.
13. My sports bra is in the laundry.
14. I don't know what to do.
15. The gym is too far.
16. I don't like going alone.
17. I'll look stupid.
18. I'm too out of shape to work out.
19. I'm too old.
20. I'm on my period.
21. I have cramps.
22. I'm too stressed.
23. I need to relax.
24. I worked all day.
25. I have to cook dinner.
26. The kids need me.
27. My dog looks sad.
28. It's my cheat day.
29. I deserve a rest day.
30. I just started a new job.
31. I'm in between jobs.
32. Mercury is in retrograde.
33. I have a headache.
34. I didn't sleep well.
35. I slept too much.
36. I'm sore from last time.
37. I need a new workout program first.
38. I need to research more.
39. I should lose some weight before I start.
40. I'm waiting until after the holidays.
41. I'm waiting until after my vacation.
42. I'm waiting until the kids go back to school.
43. I have a wedding coming up — I'll start after.
44. I already walked today.
45. I cleaned the whole house — that counts.
46. I'm too busy right now, I'll start in spring.
47. I just don't enjoy it.
48. It's not working anyway.
49. I don't see results fast enough.
50. I don't have a gym membership.
51. My gym membership expired.
52. Gyms are full of judgment.
53. I need a buddy to go with me.
54. My buddy cancelled.
55. I tried before and it didn't stick.
56. I'm different from other people.
57. My metabolism is just slow.
58. It's genetic — my whole family is this way.
59. I have a bad relationship with exercise.
60. I have body image issues.
61. I need to be in a better headspace first.
62. I don't have anyone to watch the kids.
63. I'm saving money right now.
64. It's too expensive.
65. I have anxiety about going somewhere new.
66. I'll be embarrassed.
67. I need new workout clothes first.
68. I'm not flexible enough for yoga.
69. I'm not strong enough for the gym.
70. I'm not fast enough for that class.
71. I'm on a cleanse right now.
72. I'm doing a detox.
73. My phone is dead.
74. I forgot my headphones.
75. There's a good show on tonight.
76. I'll work out at home later.
77. I have a big meeting tomorrow — I need my energy.
78. My car is in the shop.
79. Parking is a nightmare.
80. I'm waiting until I lose a few pounds first.
81. I just had a baby.
82. I'm pregnant.
83. I'm in menopause.
84. I'm perimenopausal.
85. I have hormonal issues.
86. My doctor said to take it easy.
87. I'm not sure my heart is ready.
88. I have high blood pressure.
89. I have diabetes.
90. I have thyroid problems.
91. I just don't have the willpower.
92. I'm an all-or-nothing person.
93. I'll just get injured anyway.
94. I don't like sweating.
95. I just did my hair.
96. I have to be somewhere later.
97. I didn't drink enough water today.
98. I had a bad week.
99. I'm going through something personal.
100. I'll start when life calms down.
101. Life never calms down.

The one thing every excuse has in common

Read through that list again. Every single one of those excuses puts something else before your health. A hairstyle. A show. A shoe. The weather.

None of them are made-up. They're all real things in your real life. But your health is also real — and it's the one thing that makes every other thing in your life possible. You can't show up for your kids, your job, or your relationships if your body is falling apart.

As an NASM-certified coach, I've worked with women who trained through chemo, through divorce, through job loss, through grief. They showed up. Not because their circumstances were easier — but because they decided their health was not optional.

Every excuse on that list is a vote against yourself. You get to choose how many of those votes you cast.

What showing up actually costs you

If you're 40 years old and you skip training for the next 10 years, you will lose somewhere between 3 and 8 percent of your muscle mass. Not weight. Muscle. The tissue that keeps your joints stable, your bones dense, your metabolism working, and your body doing things without pain.

Check out our piece on strength training for women over 40 for what that loss actually looks like in real life.

A class at the F.I.T.T. PIT costs you 60 minutes. That's one episode of whatever you're watching. It costs you some sweat and the energy to drive to 695 Truman Pkwy in Hyde Park.

What skipping costs you is harder to see in the moment. But at 55, you will feel the math.

We've been running classes since 2012. The women who kept showing up — even when they didn't feel like it, even when life got messy — those are the ones who look, feel, and move like they're 10 years younger than their age. That's not luck. That's showing up.

You can take our 6-Week Transformation Challenge if you want a structured start — in-person or virtual. The free first class removes every financial excuse on the list.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common excuses not to exercise?

The most common excuses are being too tired, too busy, too sore, or not knowing what to do. All of them prioritize comfort over change. None of them are permanent barriers. They're just comfortable stories you've been telling yourself long enough that they feel like facts.

Is it okay to skip a workout sometimes?

Scheduled rest days are real and built into any good training program. The problem isn't planned rest — it's unplanned skipping that turns into a habit. There's a difference between a rest day and a never-showed-up day. One is recovery. The other is avoidance.

How do I stop making excuses and start working out?

Remove the decision. When you have to decide every morning whether to work out, the excuse wins more often than not. Schedule it like a work meeting. Pay for a class — because money on the line changes behavior. And show up before your brain talks you out of it.

What if I'm too tired to exercise?

Most people who say they're too tired are sedentary-tired, not physically depleted. Moving your body increases energy. Show up anyway. You can always leave after 10 minutes. You rarely do.

Is it too late to start exercising after 40?

No. Research consistently shows adults who begin strength training in their 40s and beyond build real muscle, improve bone density, and reduce disease risk. It is never too late. The question isn't whether it's too late — it's whether you're going to keep letting it be too early.

Your first class costs nothing. Your first excuse costs everything.

First class is free. No card required. Show up Saturday at 9am. thefittpit.com