There are days — especially this time of year — when I just don’t feel like working out.
Sometimes it’s because I have gone at it hard for 7 straight days, and my body just needs a rest. That’s all right, I don’t mind taking — and should take — a day off in that situation.
Sometimes it’s because I am sick. Yeah, it happens. Okay.
Most of the time, though, the problem is that I
- partied too hard
- didn’t get enough sleep
- have too much work to do
- have other people pulling at my time
- just feel lazy
- whatever other excuse/reason I can come up with
I had one of those days recently, and, as I often do, I chose to do a less strenuous workout that day, like maybe one of those 20-minute Rodney Yee Yoga routines. That’s cool — at least it’s something — but as I looked through my calendar, I noticed that those single 20-minute Rodney Yee Yoga routines were filling more and more days.
(I am not, btw, in any way knocking Rodney Yee yoga. I love it and highly recommend it.)
It’s not like the light workouts were taking over — only one every so often — but I know the beginning of a downward spiral when I see it. Yes, this happens most often around holidays, when my schedule is disrupted by excess celebration and time off.
To combat the spiral, I said to myself, “This time, if I’m just going to go for 20 minutes, I think I’ll do half of Insanity Max Cardio.” That would provide an intense workout in a short amount of time, feeding both my laziness and need to get fit at the same time.
You know what happened, right? I did the whole thing. (Well, maybe I skipped the last 90 seconds of post-workout stretching, but, stretching is really over-rated, isn’t it? Maybe not, but screw it, go judge yourself.)
I felt great after the workout, I didn’t dog it, and I didn’t have to beat myself up for taking a day off when I didn’t need one. All good.
That worked out great for me, maybe it could for you, too. Next time you are feeling less than motivated, try doing half a workout, and you might just surprise yourself.