Every now and then someone asks me if I ever have a day I don’t want to work out. It makes me laugh a little when they ask me that. I mean, who do they think I am?! Of course I have days I just don’t want to work out!!
So what makes me different than the person asking the question? I’m not so sure. I definitely work out most days, and I definitely talk about my workouts more than some. I also make other people work out five days a week, so I can see how a perception forms that I am some maniac exerciser. But I really do think that’s all it is: a perception. Like most perceptions, it is based in some truth and some fiction.
When I have a day that I just don’t want to work out, what do I do?
- I look at the reasons behind my lack of desire. Is it the fact my CGM woke me up alarming at a low or high blood sugar every 10 minutes all night long last night? Is it that yesterday I didn’t eat very well, and don’t feel very energetic? Do I want to lie around instead of work out because I can’t think of what workout I would enjoy?
- I look at my previous few days’ of workouts. Were they really intense, or more than I’m used to doing? Did I run a long distance, or lift heavier weights than I’ve been doing in the last few weeks or months? Have I been feeling low energy for several days, or just today?
- I look ahead for the next few days. Do I have something coming up that I want to have extra energy for? A vigorous hike planned with friends or a long run or even a fun run?
Most of the time, if I can find a reason, I find it easier to modify or skip a workout. I’ll either do a shorter workout, or a more moderate workout, or do some yoga instead of anything high-impact. I try to vary my workout intensity throughout the week, but when my body is telling me something I always try to listen. If it’s saying “I’m tired and here’s why” I must listen to it. If I don’t listen to my body, I’m toast.
If I can’t find a reason for my low energy, I promise myself I just need to do the warm up– if I still don’t want to work out, I can stop and forget the whole idea. It’s not quite like your Mom saying you have to have at least one bite of some new food on your dinner plate, but it’s close. I’ve definitely changed out the workout in my DVD player mid-warm up on more than one occasion, and there have been a couple days I didn’t even make it through to put in a new DVD before simply stopping.
It is important to me at this point to always listen to what my body is telling me. I ask a lot of it, and usually it can perform fairly well. When it doesn’t, I need to respect that and rest instead of push.
As long as I have a good reason to skip a workout, I let myself rest easy and don’t beat myself up over a missed session.
It’s good for me.
