On the first day of 2016, you, along with many other people, probably took a vow to stay in shape and hit the gym all year long. But right about now, it’s looking like you’re already over working out and ready to head back to your old lifestyle filled with Netflix marathons and wine. Whether our classes are starting to get a little more serious or our extracurriculars are overwhelming us a little more than we thought they would, putting things like working out on the back-burner almost seems inevitable sometimes – but that’s not always a bad thing. In case you were wondering when that’s okay, we have the answers!
1. You’re injured
Okay, so let’s start with the most obvious one. If you’re injured, you should probably go ahead and give yourself a break. It’s pretty impossible to get through a workout or even get yourself motivated enough to do it when your body physically can’t. Not to mention, when you have an injury, it’s extremely important to give physical activity a rest and not continue to put a strain on your injury. Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for injuries, so you’re better off waiting it out so you won’t make your injury worse than it already is. Whether you pulled a muscle or sprained an ankle, you can afford to skip a work out for now. Your body will thank you later.
2. You’re not getting enough sleep
If there’s one person in this world that we know will never let us down, it’s our bed. But sometimes, the all-nighters and the bottomless cups of coffee that we use to cover up their effects can make us forget about how important getting a late night’s sleep really is. “If you’re tired, monitor what you do for exercise,” says Melanie Ludwig, personal trainer and owner of Prestige Fitness. “We can’t always bring our A game and sometimes the B needs to take over. If you’re tired and you try to keep your intensity up as usual, you’re setting yourself up for injury due to delayed reactions and faulty movement patterns.”
Yes, working out is an energy booster but when you’re suffering from physical exhaustion caused by late-night study sessions or just not getting enough sleep in general, the elliptical can wait.
3. You work out regularly
Don’t beat yourself up about not being in the mood to hit the gym if you work out regularly. According to Business Insider, working out for about two to three days a week is all it really takes for a person to stay in decent shape. So if you often find yourself involved in some sort of physical activity, it’s pretty safe to say that you shouldn’t feel guilty about staying in for the night. Treat yourself to a night in, catching up on assignments or just chilling with Netflix.
4. You’re busy
Don’t get too excited. By busy, we don’t mean busy being a couch potato. We get it, life happens. Our workloads get pretty overwhelming at a certain point in the semester which usually means that, for the sake of time, something has to give. If you have a huge midterm to study for, a 20-page research paper due soon, or if you just had to work an extra shift, we’d say that it might be best to skip your regular work out and put other things first. But Melanie has a different take on it.
“Being busy is always the number one reason for skipping workouts, but it’s also the time you need it the most,” she says. “Look at the past and current President of the United States. They always fit in exercise sessions and I think they’re probably a little busier and more stressed out than the rest of us!” Her suggestion is to give yourself small breaks that include some sort of activity in order to keep your brain going when you have a long list of things to do.
“I tell students that even a walk around the block for 15 minutes as a study break can help you perform better. Our bodies were meant to be mobile, so long periods of sitting can stifle the creative flow for sure!”
When in doubt, just remember that anytime you think you’re busy, Obama is probably looking over his jam-packed schedule and laughing at you. We’re all given the same 24 hours but if making time for a workout seems impossible for you, feel free to save it until your schedule clears a little. In any case, try and manage your time in a way that will allow you to make time to work out, just to make sure that a setback or two doesn’t take you back too far.
5. You’re sick
Any time that you or your body feels under the weather is probably a good time to get some rest instead of overworking yourself physically. “If you’re ill, your body needs rest, not exercise,” says Melanie. “For example, if you have a fever or you’re dehydrated, stay in bed and off the treadmill! Although exercise helps build immunity in the long-term, if you’re stricken by a malady, rest up until you feel better.”
But a fever isn’t the only illness you should stay away from the gym for. This same logic applies for illnesses as simple as a cough or a case of the sniffles.
“I advise my clients that if their symptoms involve issues with breathing, sneezing, and/or coughing, they should take it very easy,” Melanie says again. “Maybe just some light warm-ups and stretching. And if you take a decongestant for a cold, be careful as they can raise your heart rate. Adding a cardio workout because the medicine is making you feel better might not be the best thing to do.”
Just like nursing an injury, it’s important to lay low a little when you’re sick too. Let your body fight off whatever illness you have before heading back to the gym.
It’s normal for anyone to not be in the mood to work out, which is why you shouldn’t always feel guilty about skipping a trip to the gym. That being said, just remember how important it is for you not to let your feelings get the best of you even when you’re tempted to take a day off.