How to Fight Workout Guilt and Get Moving

Maybe you skipped a day in the gym. You usually go, but today you just really weren’t feeling it. That’s totally fine! But how do you stop that twisting feeling in your stomach? You could have gone into the gym, but you didn’t. Wrong! If you weren’t feeling it, then maybe there was a reason why. Your body needed a break, and that is absolutely okay. But how do we get our mind to calm down and understand this? Follow some of these tips to beat that workout guilt!  

Understand Your Body and Work With It  

This tip is more about how to know when to take a break. If working out one day seems like a huge struggle, maybe listen to your body and take a rest day. However, don’t take blind rest days. What this means is to track when you feel this way, and what could be causing it. Maybe this is a cyclical thing, if it happens once every month or two months, that could simply just be normal body fluctuations. If this is the case, understand this pattern and know that this is a normal occurrence for you.   

Maybe you don’t notice a pattern with time or the way your body is functioning. If this is the case, look for other sources of hinderance. Sometimes something as simple as what you ate for lunch could be affecting your workout habits. Either way, remember that this is nothing to feel guilt over. Instead of letting that guilt take over, look at the situation analytically and figure out the problem.  

Reset Your Mind  

Sometimes your body isn’t the main factor holding you back. Although you may feel tired physically, this can sometimes stem from the mind too. That’s why it is so important to also give your mind time to rest so that you can workout more effectively.  

Do something that gives your brain the energy or reset that it needs! This can range from any number of things. Sometimes we all just need a day to stay in and watch a TV show or read a book. This can help give your brain a rest and ensure that it feels up for physical activity the next time you pull into that gym parking lot! Combat the guilt you feel by doing something you genuinely enjoy.  

Plan Ahead 

So maybe you missed a day of working out. But instead of wallowing in your guilt, try to take initiative and plan the next day! If you have a built-out workout schedule, try adapting it so that you can still have an efficient routine. For example, maybe you skipped one day and didn’t work out your lower body. Maybe instead of skipping lower body day all together, just do a full body workout the next day. This way, you can still feel that you are working out all aspects of your body.  

Guilt can be a debilitating feeling, but skipping a day or two will not ruin any of your progress. It can be easy to forget this, so just keep that in mind and adapt your routine to combat that guilt!  

Do Something Small  

If nothing above worked for you and the guilt just seems to be eating away at you, do not worry! If your body isn’t feeling up for a full-on workout, don’t push it. However, if you do feel restless, try going for a walk or doing something small to still keep your body moving. Maybe an entire workout can be too daunting, so try finding something that gets you moving that you can realistically do.  

Don’t let one bad workout day define your mood! Make sure to give your body some rest and try out these methods to kick that workout guilt to the side. Enjoy your workout journey and bounce back from burnout!  

Photo Credit: Pexels.com/Blue Bird