By Elena Voropay

Look at your key chain. What do you see? I’ve got a mandatory set of house, car, mail box and office keys. A nice addition to my lifestyle is a beer bottle opener and a key-chain compass. But the by and large irreplaceable part of the set is my Gym pass. I see most people’s key chains have some kind of a sports-club logo with a bar code on the back. Belonging to a health club is becoming so contagious, it’s scary. Nowadays it’s more fashionable to be a regular at the gym than at the local bar. Not only will you look ‘cooler’, but feel greater as well. However there is a difference between being a member of a club and actually going there.

The following are the six most trendy excuses – busted.

1. I’ve got too much to do, I am really busy.

No kidding! Me too. And so is the President of the United States. I think he’s got some important things to take care of as well. But somehow George W, to follow the example of his predecessor, manages to squeeze an hour or so of exercising in his busy day. So why are you any different?

2. I’m so tired, I have no energy to move.

Fatigue can actually be caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise will help jump start your body and overtime will increase your energy level while decreasing your fatigue. What’s more, a vast majority of people report feeling more alert, attentive and less stressed shortly after an exercise session. So, get over it and start moving.

3. You can’t afford to go to a gym. Besides, exercise is boring, so it’s not worth investing.

And where do you think your student fees go? Part of them – to support UAA’s newly remodeled fitness center. Whatever activity you enjoy – you’ll find it here. Swimming pool, treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bicycles, stair steppers, free weights, weight-training machines, jogging track and ice rink may add a variety to your workouts.

4. I seem to never find time.

Sorry, but chances that you ever will are slim. Time is not a pot of gold, it’s not hidden somewhere. You don’t find time, you make time. You’ve got 24 hours or 1440 minutes. Every minute counts. But even if the majority of Earth’s population would vote on increasing this time quota, it would probably stay the same. So, you need to work within your limits and learn to prioritize things in the right order. Place exercise closer to the top of your ‘to-do list’ and you have a great chance of succeeding. It is not unreasonable to withdraw 30 minutes out of your 1440-minutes-a-day account in staying active to collect a much greater compound interest later.

5. Everybody in the gym is fit and toned which makes me feel insecure.

First of all, have you checked the gyms lately? Fortunately, you can find people of literally all shapes and sizes in the fitness clubs nowadays. Second, even shaped-up individuals did not look this way always (at least they were not born this way). They had to start from somewhere to get to their current state. Many of them can probably tell you their success stories. You will also find that you look much better now than they did at their first trip to the gym. I am sure everybody is very happy to see people starting to take care of their health after all. Not only will you see encouragement, you will notice all insecurities disappearing – and that will reflect on every aspect of your life.

6. I don’t know how to train properly.

Have you tried to find out? With the amount of publications about health and fitness a respectable number is screaming for your attention. Just grab almost any consumer magazine while standing in line at the supermarket and you are likely to uncover the secrets of staying in shape with all the do’s and don’t of training. And have you checked the current fall 2002 class schedule? UAA’s Physical Education and Recreation department is offering over 45 different courses to educate and entertain you on your quest to an active lifestyle.

So get up, get out, and get going before you will try to come up with any more justifications.