Working out seems to be a must on everyone's to-do list. But is it really? We always see influencers online and other who are sporting workout gear or releasing TikTok videos about how to lift weights in the right form. Sometimes, it feels like everyone is working out but you, making you feel more and more guilty about not doing it yourself, but there's really nothing to feel guilty about.
This time two years ago, I was running between 5-7km a day for five or six days a week. I absolutely loved it, but I snapped a tendon in my ankle which put a stop to running for about five or six months. After that time, a lot had changed. We had bought our first house and renovations started pretty much straightaway. It soon meant that I had no time to fit running or a simple workout into my everyday routine.
But instead of feeling guilty about taking all that time off, I had these three things running through my head. It helped me to make peace with the fact that I was no longer running at that capacity anymore and that working out should be something that I enjoy doing rather than obsess over, because I think that's what I did, especially when I got a FitBit. So when I go for days without working out, here's what I remember :)
Remember, your body won't change drastically
Taking a few days off in between workouts doesn't mean that your muscle will melt and be replaced with fat at the first chance it gets. Physically, it just won't happen. It might be that it just takes you a little longer to reach your goals, which is ok, because you're going at your own pace and no one else's. Don't let other people make you feel pressured to workout if you're not feeling it. Your body will never change overnight, so just keep that in mind.
Not working out doesn't make you any less of a person in comparison to someone who does
Stop comparing yourself to people online who are working out. Don't let them influence your decision to take some time for yourself instead of working out. There are more important things in life than dedicating most of it to moving your body. If you'd rather meet up with friends for breakfast than go for that early morning run, then do it! Find a balance. If you don't workout one day, have a goal to work out another day instead, but don't worry if you don't hit those goals. Life throws things up when you least expect it so you do you as and when you feel like it.
A break allows you to discover a type of movement that you enjoy more so than other exercises
Taking a break from one type of movement might open your mind up to other types of movement that you might enjoy more so. I enjoyed running more than going to the gym, which is something I discovered during lockdown. I also preferred it to doing workout videos online. You might be the opposite. You might have hated running but felt like it was something you needed to do.
With a bit of time off, you can explore other body movements that you might enjoy more than running. You might have given swimming a go or tried weight training in the gym and prefer that instead. Having so time off from working out allows you to work things out about yourself when it comes to exercise, so use this break to do that.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that it helped you to be more ok about not working out on a regular basis and I'll see you again very soon with a brand new blog post :)
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