Photo gallery: 5 easy ways to beat exercise excuses

Exercise excuses

If you're like me, you can come up with a million excuses for not working out. "My dog peed on my socks" and "I've got three kids to make dinner for" are a couple of my own favourites. It's amazing what you can rationalize, isn't it?

In his book The No Sweat Exercise Plan (read an excerpt here), Dr. Harvey B. Simon, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, provides good solid advice on how to overcome these and other common excuses. Here are a few of his suggestions:

You can't seem to find the time You can certainly squeeze small chunks of exercise into your day. Climb stairs and walk instead of driving places. Walk with your friends instead of meeting them for coffee or lunch. Spend part of your lunch hour walking. Remember: 30 to 45 minutes is only 4 or 5 per cent of your entire day.