Confession: I don't always push through when I am not feeling a workout. Here's what I do instead.

There is always a lot of discourse in fitness circles about "pushing through" when you don't feel like working out, and I want to be the first to raise my timid hand to say that this is not always what I do when I am just not feeling like working out. I developed a different approach over the years that has really helped me build up consistency, and I want to share a little of that today in hopes that it will help some of you.

When is it right to just put the weights down?

Disclaimers:

There are absolutely times when it is appropriate to "just push through" when you are not feeling up for a work out. When you are just starting out, your body will resist exercise more, so a little more mental pushing might help. When you are training for a major goal, like for athletic performance, running a marathon, or you need to meet some sort of deadline, you are going to have to do some pushing through.

This post is more appropriate for those of us whose goal is more along the lines of general health, feeling better, moving better, not necessarily if you have a very specific or time-constrained goal, so please consider your own health and goals as the "grain of salt" when reading through my advise.

Step 1: Figure out why I'm not feeling it

This is the place to start. Don't wake up, roll out of bed, and just decide you are not going to workout today. Dig a little deeper.

There are a lot of reasons you might not feel up to it, and all of them might be the right reason to call a workout off or change your plan, but you need to be sure!

You are most likely not "just being lazy," and negative thoughts about yourself and your committment and discipline may just be contributing to the negative feeling about exercise, so it can be helpful to take a moment and pick it all apart.

Physical: Physical resistance can take a few forms.

If you are injured, this is a clear sign not to workout, obviously. But sometimes an ache or pain can be allievated by a little movement, so how do you know? First, acuteness matter. A dull ache or stiffness will most likely be fine after a warm-up, but a sharp, new pain? Might be a good reason to skip. You know your body, and you know what is normal and tolerable, and what is not, so dig deep, and be honest with yourself, and skip it or modify if you are dealing with injury.

But what if you are just tired? What if you feel heavy, you slept poorly, you've increased your workouts in the last few days and it is catching up with you? This is when things become less clear, and you'll want to proceed to step 2.

Mental: Sometimes we are just not mentally or emotionally ready for a workout. Again, I would encourage you to consider the acuteness of your mental and emotional strife. If you are actively in a mental health crisis, it may not be appropriate to work out. Emotional distress during some forms of exercise can increase your risk of injury, and increase the strain on an already fried nervous system. Remember, exercise does not just use your muscles, but your brain and nervous system as well.

Also remember, you are probably not "just being lazy!" Even if you are just emotionally a little tired, it is worth taking the time to consider what other factors might be at play. Maybe you are not working out that much, but your job or family life is stressful and weighing you down. This is valid, and should be part of how you consider what level of difficulty and intensity is right for you in a typical workout.

Step 2: Just warm up.

If you are not acutely injured, then just tell yourself you are going to warm up. That's it. You do not promise a work out. You do not even have to go to the gym or to a specific workout space. You are just going to move a little, and see what happens. That is truly it.

Keep this promise to yourself. If you are mentally or physically struggling, and your warm-up makes you feel worse, this is your sign to stop.

Nine times out of 10, I will warm up and realize that I'm actually feeling better, and continue on to some form of workout. Sometimes it is what I had planned, sometimes not, but I generally am able to move my body enough to feel good after a few minutes of warming up.

This works by over-riding the inertia of being still. It is simple physics, and simple human behavior. Once you are moving, it is easier to imagine moving more. Those good old brain chemicals (dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, etc.) start flowing, and you get the motivation you need to keep going.

But if you are still on the fence, move on to the next step.

Step 3: Consider modifications

Modifications can take all sorts of forms. It depends on what your personal "normal" is, and your goal, but as mentioned before, this advice is for the average person who just wants to move more, feel better, and keep their health moving in a positive direction. There are a few ways you can modify.

1. Change your type and intensity of workout. Were you planning a heavy lifting session? Maybe lighten the weights and focus on perfecting form and technique instead of increasing load. You were planning to run intervals or hills? Maybe go for an easy run instead. Planning to take a bootcamp class? Swap it out for some beginner-friendly yoga, or promise yourself you will take the easiest modification the instructor offers (and keep your promise! A good instructor will give a lot of options, but it is still up to you to take the easy road and be continually kind to yourself).

2. Swap out problem movements for safe movements. If you are coming back from an injury or worried about worsening an injury, don't do the same workout that put you in this position to begin with. If you know that deadlifts will make your back hurt, swap for a hip bridge or back extensions. If your knee is hurting, maybe skip the squats and focus on upper body.

3. Just do less. Less weight, less sets, less time. Sure, you won't be hitting your PR, but you will be moving your body and reinforcing healthy patterns of movement and healthy habits.

Step 4: Give yourself kindness and grace

This is the hard part for some of us. Give yourself the grace to say no, to step back. Practicing self-compassion is a skill more valuable than any fitness goal for your long-term health. It will reduce your stress, and your risk of an injury from pushing through when your body is telling you with every form of communication that it has that you should not be working out.

Movement is important, but an injury will set you back weeks, months, even years, and practicing the subtle art of knowing yourself will prevent this. It is always better to take a beat, skip one workout or cut back for a week to give yourself space to heal, than it is to fall off the habit of working out for months because you "pushed through" your struggles and made yourself hate working out.

Working out for long-term goals should be fun or at least enjoyable for some of the time. If it isn't, you are never going to form the attachment and habit of exercising. That is just how our brains work. We need reward to return to an unpleasant activity, we need to know there will be a rainbow after the rain, and it will get easier and easier to talk yourself into that workout.

Consistency is key. Missing a workout or even a week or two of workouts does not matter as much as getting back at it when you do. If you are hoping to build a 20, 30, 40 year exercise habit, your thinking needs to change, and hopefully these steps help you find the sweet spot between slacking off and practicing true self care.

Best of luck!

If you need any support learning how to meet your fitness goals, please schedule a consult with me. It's free, and I can help you find a way to get there, even if a trainer isn't part of it.