Diana Hill, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and an internationally recognized expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion. As the host of the “Wise Effort” podcast and author of The Self-Compassion Daily Journal, ACT Daily Journal, and the upcoming Wise Effort, Diana helps individuals and organizations cultivate psychological flexibility to lead fulfilling and impactful lives.

With over 20 years of meditation and yoga experience, Diana combines her deep personal practice with with the latest psychological research to make well-being approachable and relevant to everyday life. Her work has been featured by NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Woman's Day, Real Simple, and other media outlets, and she contributes regularly to Insight Timer, [...], and Psychology Today.

When not walking and talking with therapy clients, you’ll find Diana digging in her garden, bee-keeping, and taking sunrise ocean swims with her two boys.

Katy Bowman, M.S. is a biomechanist, movement teacher, and bestselling author who has changed the way many move and think about their need for movement. Her 11 books, including the groundbreaking Move Your DNA, have sold more than 300,000 copies in English and been translated into 16 languages worldwide. Named one of Maria Shriver's "Architects of Change" and an America Walks "Woman of the Walking Movement," Bowman teaches movement globally and speaks about sedentarism and movement ecology to academic and scientific audiences. Her work is regularly featured by diverse national and international media including The New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, CBC Radio, Seattle Times, Good Housekeeping, Outside, The Joe Rogan Experience, andThe Today Show. She has also worked with companies like Patagonia, Nike, and Google, as well as a wide range of non-profits and other communities to create greater access to her "movement as nutrition" message.

Founder of the movement education company Nutritious Movement and host of the Move Your DNA podcast, Bowman lives in Washington State, where she spends as much time as she can moving outside with her family.

Introduction: Why Can’t I Make Myself Park Farther Away from the Store?

Chapter 1: I’m Not Motivated
Reason 1: I don’t care that exercise is good for me, I just don’t want to do it.
Reason 2: I hate sweating.
Reason 3: Exercise is boring.
Reason 4: My dad pressured me to exercise as a kid. I’m still rebelling.
Reason 5: I am great at starting exercise programs, but I never stick with them.
Reason 6: I haven’t exercised in so long, I can’t start again.
Reason 7: I’m afraid my obsessive self will take over and I’ll over-exercise again.

Chapter 2: I Don’t Have Enough Time
Reason 8: I have too much other work to do and too many family responsibilities.
Reason 9: Once the kids are finally in bed, I prioritize my favorite sedentary hobbies.
Reason 10: I don’t have enough time to do my full workout, so why bother?
Reason 11: I love morning walks, but I feel guilty not spending that time with my family.
Reason 12: I work all day just to eke out a living. No time or energy left for exercise.
Reason 13: It’s selfish to do something for myself when other people need something from me.
Reason 14: I’m burned out.
Reason 15: I spend too much time and energy doing all the things I “have” to do to keep up appearances.

Chapter 3: I’m Too Embarrassed
Reason 16: I am ashamed of my body and don’t want to be reminded of it.
Reason 17: I want to go walking with friends, but I’m out of shape.
Reason 18: I was raised in purity culture, where I was taught not to draw attention to my body.
Reason 19: I feel judged when trying to fit in some exercise while waiting around in public spaces.
Reason 20: I used to be an athlete; now I feel like a loser
Reason 21: I am in a larger-sized body and I feel judged by the people at yoga studios.
Reason 22: I can’t help but compare myself to other people in my exercise class.

Chapter 4. It’s Uncomfortable
Reason 23: My job is not physical, but my brain is too tired to do anything physical after work.
Reason 24. I have chronic pain from an illness.
Reason #25: Menopause blues weigh me down and make me not want to do anything.
Reason 26: I want to walk outside, but it’s too cold.
Reason 27: I’m grieving my dad, and feel like I’m carrying around a load of bricks.
Reason 28: I’m on my feet all day as a hairstylist. At the end of my day I just want to have my feet rubbed and watch a good show.

Chapter 5. I’m Stuck to My Screen
Reason 29: I struggle with tech addiction. It’s hard to go for a walk when Instagram and TikTok are so much more dopaminergic.
Reason 30: “I'm going to relax with my phone for 15 minutes then go for a walk.” That 15 minutes never ends.
Reason 31: The first thing I do in the morning is check social media, using up my precious morning walk time.
Reason 32: I work at a computer all day. I am productive, and if things are flowing, I hate to break that up. Then at the end of the day I realize I’ve hardly moved at all.

Chapter 6: My Environment Makes It Impossible
Reason 33: I have a lack of safety in my immediate area and a lack of resources to get to “nature.”
Reason 34: Exercise costs too much.
Reason 35: Terrible outdoor air quality compromises my ability to move.
Reason 36: Our car dependency makes it illogical and/or unsafe for many of us to get outside and move.
Reason 37: Our rural neighborhood is dangerous to walk in: aggressive dogs, and the occasional bear or mountain lion.
Reason 38: My treeless suburban neighborhood is boring, flat, and dangerous, with busy streets and no sidewalks.

Chapter 7: Other People Won’t Move With Me
Reason 39: My dog goes on strike if I try to walk her more than around the block.
Reason 40: I have five children and no one to help me get them outside, no one to help focus on child safety or hold the baby.
Reason 41: My teenagers won’t move; they’ll only game or look at their phones.
Reason 42: My partner hates to move. I can’t get him on board to move with me.
Reason 43: My partner and I just adopted a baby, and I feel guilty taking time to exercise when I could be with them.
Reason 44: Can’t do my floor exercises without one of my children or the cat climbing on top of me.

Acknowledgments
References
Index
About the Authors