Joe's Place Blog

26 Mar 2015

4 reasons to skip a workout

WomensFitness_Mar26_AYou know that it’s important to stick to a regular exercise routine in order to stay healthy. You may have been told that skipping exercises means you are lazy. But this is far from being true. Sometimes your body is simply not ready to exercise, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for missing a day or two of working out if you have a valid reason to do so. But how do you know when it’s fine to skip a workout, or when you’re just being plain lazy? Here are some situations when it’s perfectly okay to cut yourself some slack.

You’re not feeling well

If you have one or more of the following symptoms, it is better to avoid exercise. This is not a time for adhering to the motto ‘no pain, no gain’.

  • Sickness – When you’re not feeling well, whether it’s from fever or stomach issues, you should skip the gym and provide your body with the rest it needs to fight off illness and recuperate. Exercising while you’re sick will break you down rather than build you up.
  • Fatigue – Fatigue from overtraining is quite different from the tiredness we feel after a long day. If the soreness is severe, then perhaps it’s a sign that you’re pushing yourself too hard. In this case, take a day or two off, and think about decreasing the intensity of your exercise routine.
  • Injury – There are two types of pain when it comes to exercise – the ‘good’ pain and the ‘bad’. Good pain refers to sore muscles after a challenging workout, while bad pain is a nagging type that persists, making you feel like something is wrong. You’re not doing yourself any favors by pushing through workouts with your injured limbs. Exercising while you have an injury will only aggravate it and could lead to graver problems.

You didn’t get enough sleep

Sleep deprivation is never good for your body and mind. If you have sleeping issues, it’s perfectly okay to skip the gym and focus on getting a good night’s rest. Forcing yourself to exercise after sleepless nights could worsen the problem. You’re probably not going to have a great workout if you’re feeling exhausted, and there’s a real possibility of injury if your mind and body aren’t sharp and focused on your exercise routine.

You’re just plain tired

If you’re new to the whole idea of working out, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Your body needs to adjust to your workouts, and this will leave you feeling tired. There’s a difference, though, between exhaustion and giving up on your workout routines just because they’re hard. Only skip a workout if you feel you really need to. That way you stay on track while avoiding suffering from burnout by making yourself hate the gym before you’ve even got properly started.

You’re busy

There are certain times when life really gets in the way of your workouts, whether it’s working late hours, going to a doctor’s appointment, or picking up the kids from school. Whatever the reason, you find it hard to fit in your workout that day and you feel guilty about it. Well, you shouldn’t! There’s more to life than working out and, if you’re genuinely busy, sometimes skipping a workout and dealing with the issue at hand is better than letting chores – and stress – build up.

Skipping a workout doesn’t have to mean you’re lazy – it simply means that you’re exercising the smart way, taking a break when you really need to. Want to learn how to exercise properly? Contact us today and see how we can help.

Published with permission from FitnessAdvisory. Source.