Six days a week, at about 2 pm, I work out. It’s my midday pick-me-up (instead of another cup of coffee), helping me catch my second breath and get through the day. The intensity depends on how I feel. It could be a Platoon class or a heavy weightlifting session. Or it could be a more restorative practice like yoga or a long walk.
It seems like a simple enough endeavor, built into my schedule and ready for me to execute. However, there are many days when I just don’t want to. I could be sitting in my gym clothes, with my backpack packed and by the door, wanting to get up and go move my body. These are the times when I take a step back and assess whether I should push myself, do something lighter than planned, or consider it a rest day and observe. rick and morty reruns
This is a feeling that most of us know well. There are days when you have the motivation, others when you have to muster your willpower to get going, and others when you just decide to take the day off. But the movement and the resolution to do something even when you don’t feel like it, you don’t need to get in shape or hit a personal best at the gym. The best benefits of being active in some way are often the ones we don’t see promoted on Instagram, like having more energy during the daybuilding strength, driving brain healthand another mental health benefits. Movement provides almost everyone and every body with these benefits: a “perfect” aesthetic is not necessary. And while someone going through a serious bout of depression or anxiety may not have the same intrinsic motivational abilities as someone whose mental health is stable, everyone benefits from moving in some way.
So how can we structure our lives and environments to ensure that we move, in some way, on those days when we struggle to do so? I spoke with several fitness experts to see how. This is what they said.
Remember how good it feels to move your body and reframe what counts as movement.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week, plus two days of strength training.
This doesn’t mean you have to visit your gym every day and lift heavy weights or take a HIIT class. There is a difference between exercise and physical activity. The former refers to structured activity in pursuit of a fitness goal, while the latter can be anything that requires you to move, such as going for a walk, taking a virtual yoga class, dancing in your apartment, playing with your kids or pets, or some light stretching. On those days when you don’t feel up to your fitness routine, taking it slower than usual can be a way to reach your recommended physical activity benchmarks.
We feel different every day due to sleep quality, stress, work, family obligations, and our mental health. Saving hard workouts for days when you feel amazing and modifying days when you don’t allows you to take better care of your body in the long run. Striving for perfection is a sure way to burn out. It’s okay to deviate from the plan to find yourself where you are and find out why you don’t feel like yourself. Is it a need to sleep more? Better stress management? Or more food?
“Any movement you can do will benefit your body, whether it’s in the gym or in structured exercise,” said Katie Heinrich, a professor of kinesiology at Kansas State University. “So maybe you’re in your gym clothes. You’re like, ‘Man, I just don’t want to go to the gym. It’s okay. Just move. Put on a song that you like to dance to. Or do 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, and 10 squats. Even standing and moving is better than sitting down.”
Find an accountability partner
Having friends to help you move your body can be the deciding factor between taking a few steps during the day or staying on the couch, according to Sami Yli-Piipari, a physical activity specialist at the University of Georgia. Making physical activity a group effort can foster a sense of community and make you feel like others are on your side—a powerful motivator. “Humans have a need to be autonomous. They have a need to be competent at what they’re doing, but they also need to feel like there’s a relationship,” he explained.
Also, it’s more difficult to opt out of a pre-planned activity if friends or a coach are waiting for you before class. Yli-Piipari also pointed out that less simple things, like scheduling an Uber in advance to pick you up at the gym, can help.
Create an environment that promotes sustainable movement
Our personal environments can promote or hinder our well-being — a complex reality influenced by someone’s various privileges and disadvantages — and has a direct influence on how motivated we are to do something. Bringing your workout clothes to work, packing your gym bag the night before, laying out your workout clothes ahead of time, or placing them on a chair you frequently walk by are just a few tips the experts I spoke with offered for creating a environment that promotes movement. .
It is imperative to take stock of how you can fit movement episodes into your day. Maybe it’s with a standing desk or walking around your room every hour. For others, it’s effective to schedule physical activity on a digital calendar or planner the same way you’d write down a doctor’s appointment. For those of us who love to cross things off a list, writing the exercise down like a homework assignment also helps.
But it’s also vital to be realistic about when it will happen. If you’re not a morning person, don’t schedule morning workouts. If you spend your evenings dealing with family obligations or want to go out with your friends, a lunchtime session might be best. And if a block of hours isn’t feasible, Heinrich suggests breaking it up into smaller chunks, which may work better for those with rigid or unpredictable schedules. Parents can also get some exercise by joining their children for a run on the playground or doing a circuit while watching their children play. (A big selling point for home workouts is the fact that you can babysit, attend a meeting, or cook a meal in the oven during a workout.)
“Every minute of activity that you can do creates physiological and mental responses in your body,” he explained. “And usually if someone is feeling exhausted, if you move your body, you’ll find that you feel better. And those aches and pains you’re starting to feel may go away.”
Know the difference between feeling sluggish and actually needing to rest
Everyone I spoke with was clear that movement is not always the best solution to feeling bored. Perhaps the most important thing you can do is discover the difference between the need to walk and the need to rest your body. Tiredness can occur for various reasons. Sometimes you have been staring at your screen for too long and need a break from the activity. Other times, you might need a nap. If fatigue is overwhelming or persistent, your body may be pointing that there is an underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed. And of course, if you have a fever, pain, or an injury, that’s a clear indication that you need to focus on getting better.
But Brittany Brandt, fitness and wellness coordinator at West Virginia University, said if you’re feeling tired and want to skip that day’s physical activity, that’s okay, too. Try not to beat yourself up for “breaking a streak” and instead give yourself a little grace, she said. Doing something every day, whether it’s a walk around the block or a quick stretch before bed, will do her body a lot better than stressing about not moving like she planned for the day.
“People sometimes get into a box of, ‘Oh, I have to work out Monday through Friday,’ or just on certain days, and if they get off track, they’re like, ‘I’ll try again on Monday.'” she said. “But there is no stigma on that. You can move every day.”
Julia Craven she’s a writer who covers everything she thinks is cool, and she’s the brains behind make sensea wellness newsletter.
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