What To Do When You Don’t Feel Like It
Some days you just feel great and can hardly wait to get to your workout. You have lots of energy, lots of motivation and you really burn up the calories.
Being physically fit is easy on those days; you do not struggle at all with making yourself exercise.
But there are some days when you feel just the opposite.
You are tired, unmotivated and the thought of working out is the last thing you feel like doing. These are the days when it is hard to pursue fitness.
It’s Just One of Those Days
Everyone has those days. And, it is wise to expect that they will come so that you will know how to deal with them. Having a plan makes all the difference.
The first thing to discern when you don’t feel like working out is whether or not you are actually sick.
- Do you have any symptoms of underlying illness?
- Is your throat sore?
- Do you have congestion?
It is a good idea to take your temperature to find out if you have a fever. A fever is a signal that you have a virus or infection of some kind.
If you are sick, then it is probably wise to take the day off from exercise. Your body is under stress when you are ill and it is working hard to fight the illness.
Exercising will place more stress on your body and perhaps slow down the healing process. Reassess how you feel the next day and decide whether you can resume exercise or if you need an additional rest day.
Listen to Your Body
Being truly healthy means listening to your body. It is not a sign of weakness to rest when your body is ill.
If you are not sick but just feel bad, it’s okay to take a light day of exercise. You do not have to go “all out” every single day. A gentle walk on the treadmill or even around your neighborhood is fine for days when your energy is lagging.
You might even try a slow swim or bike ride. Just the fact that you are moving a little bit may be enough to perk you up.
A Word of Caution
Having an occasional day of feeling bad and not exercising at all or at low intensity is normal. But if such days are the rule rather than the exception, you should check your diet to make sure that you are getting all the nutrients that you need.
You may also want to make an appointment with your doctor to rule out anemia. Iron deficiency can cause abnormal fatigue.