Weight loss tip: when to skip the gym

Weight loss tip...

Gruelling gym workouts aren't an effective form of exercise for everyone, nor are they the only.

The thought of sweating it out on a stationary bike as we struggle to sustain the stamina to smash our workout without resembling a hyperventilating mess, can often leave us failing to overcome an obstacle that instantly intensifies our insecurities surrounding our weight, shape and size - participating in physical activity in public.

Although the fear of subjecting the body and mind to a tough training session in the gym can trigger the temptation to skip weekly workouts, there is no reason why we can't continue to eliminate excess energy without the aid of a gruelling gym regime that results in psychological distress.

In fact, as a former 'big' girl prone to the paranoia that stems from how others perceive my exercise efforts, I have not only lost over 10 stone with outdoor workouts - I have never exercised in a gym environment - but maintained the motivation to move more by continuously testing my commitment to change with a combination of tough training sessions and crazy weather conditions - if you can push through physical and psychological pain in the pouring rain, you can eliminate every excuse not to exercise when you've consciously convinced yourself that you're too tired, too busy and too unfit.

Instead of fixating on how you 'should' be fighting the flab, focus on the method that allows you to maintain motivation with psychological ease, be it an outdoor obstacle course, a country cycle, a scenic stroll or even a workout DVD.

Top tip: find a form of exercise that you enjoy on both a physical and psychological scale.
If you struggle to sustain self esteem when participating in physical activity in public, you will subconsciously begin to associate exercise with psychological distress - distress that will deter your motivation to move more and hinder the healthier habits that you've worked hard to create - but if your chosen form of exercise is enjoyable on both a physical and psychological scale, you are far more likely to sustain the training sessions that aid weight loss and wellbeing.