You Never Regret a Workout...

tanyaheartsfrogs

Yesterday I had a scheduled run after work and I was dreading it. I just didn't feel like it and I was looking for excuses to get out of it. I got dressed and put one foot in front of the other and next thing you know I ended up really enjoying it. It was the most pleasant run in a long time. I felt great. My legs, heart, and lungs were all on autopilot. I really felt like I could have run forever.

The hardest part is getting started. Have a great day and keep working towards your goals.

[Edited by MFP Mods]

quiksylver296

I agree. If I don't want to do my workout, I tell myself to just do 10 minutes and then I can quit. I never quit.

Just FYI, it's against site rules to share your IG (or other social media info) in the threads.

TavistockToad

Yep, running is 95% mental

tulips_and_tea

Ditto. I wasn't dreading my workout yesterday, but I was extremely tired from lack of sleep the night before. It was very windy and the wind kept waking me up. But, I went to the gym anyway and same as OP, I sailed through my workout and enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks for sharing your positive experience!

aokoye

It really depends on what is going on and how I feel after. If I feel fine after my workout then I don't regret it. If I worked out despite already being sick or especially exhausted (as in I really need to lay down and take a nap) then yeah - I will regret it both mentally and physically. That said it is very rare that I push myself to do things that physically are just a very bad plan. Note, that very is different than not pushing myself at all.

Of course there are also times when I felt fine before and during my work out, but then really didn't after because I did too much. In short, bodies are complex.

apullum

I've regretted workouts. I have sometimes been sick or otherwise not feeling great, but I pushed myself to go running anyway, and I regretted it. This is how I've wound up at mile 11 of a 12 mile run, or mile 6 of an 8 mile run, calling my husband to come pick me up because I'm not able to make it home.

*Sometimes* when you just aren't feeling a workout, you can push through it and it's great. Some runs start out rough and get better after the first mile or two. But other times, it's miserable or even dangerous to work out when your body is telling you no. Learning when you should work through it and when you shouldn't is a skill that takes time to develop.

LivingtheLeanDream

Agreed! There are many mornings I think to myself, take the day off! But I push on regardless and am always glad I did. It sets me up for the day and leaves me feeling invigorated

Lounmoun

You don't regret a workout that leaves you feeling good.It can often happen that way.

If your workout left you with an injury or something negative you might have some regrets about the workout that day. It happens sometimes too.

cwolfman13

For the most part true...but in 5.5 years, I've had my share of workouts I've regretted and I should have just listened to my body...and the weather report.

sgt1372

Feeling lazy and am not lifting this week but am still doing an hr of rowing each day.

tanyaheartsfrogs

quiksylver296 wrote: »

I agree. If I don't want to do my workout, I tell myself to just do 10 minutes and then I can quit. I never quit.

Just FYI, it's against site rules to share your IG (or other social media info) in the threads.

thanks for the heads up. MFP fixed it for me

tanyaheartsfrogs

apullum wrote: »

I've regretted workouts. I have sometimes been sick or otherwise not feeling great, but I pushed myself to go running anyway, and I regretted it. This is how I've wound up at mile 11 of a 12 mile run, or mile 6 of an 8 mile run, calling my husband to come pick me up because I'm not able to make it home.

*Sometimes* when you just aren't feeling a workout, you can push through it and it's great. Some runs start out rough and get better after the first mile or two. But other times, it's miserable or even dangerous to work out when your body is telling you no. Learning when you should work through it and when you shouldn't is a skill that takes time to develop.

I think I'm pretty good at feeling my own vibe. Yesterday I was not feeling it in a I'd rather go home and sit on the couch sorta way not a I'm going to be ill if I do this way. I'm so glad I did it! I felt great during and after.

I know what you mean though, it takes time to develop the skill to differentiate between I don't want to vs. my body needs a break. Just last weekend I couldn't sleep well the night before my long run and I was not a happy camper when my alarm went off. I seriously considered skipping it but after hitting snooze a few times I was able to pull it together and had a good run.

Have a great day!

bbell1985

Yeah. I've gotten pretty good at knowing when I just need to kick my *kitten* into the gym and when it's actually OKAY to not do the workout. Either way, I usually at least get a foot in the door and a bar on my back before I decide it's not happening. Caffeine helps.

TavistockToad

there's a massive difference between pushing through the 'cant be arsed' and pushing through an injury/or ignoring rest days which results in more injury.

Azdak

Some of the best workouts I have had were days when I didn’t think I could do anything, but committed to 5-10 min and then my body woke up and got to work.

Some of my best workouts were days where I realized I didn’t have it within the first 5 min, and stopped and went back to the couch.

Always good to give it a try and see what happens (we are often more mentally fatigued than physically). But sometimes the better choice is to bail out early and recover for a good workout the next day.

JBApplebee

Glad I don't run anymore, because I can't wait to get back to 9Round. Although I'm going to do my first mud run in early June, so I need to run so I can make it 5K without sucking.

jjpptt2

If I have to really force myself to do the workout... be it get to the gym load up the bike or lace up the shoes... I can almost guarantee it's going to be one of my best workouts, or one of my worst. There's almost no "decent" in those scenarios. PR or bonk for me most of the time (not literally, but you get the point).

But I do agree with the spirit of your post. Often times the hardest part of a workout is the mental part, of getting yourself out of bed or off the couch or out in the cold or whatever whatever. Good job.

TR0berts

Yep. I've had some days where I didn't want to be in the gym, but ended up hitting a PR. Heck, just this past Tuesday, I wasn't feeling it, but it was the last heavy day of training before my upcoming meet. Somehow, my deadlifts flew up, even though I was expecting them to be slow as poo.

collectingblues

TavistockToad wrote: »

there's a massive difference between pushing through the 'cant be arsed' and pushing through an injury/or ignoring rest days which results in more injury.

This. I *have* regretted workouts. Namely, the half marathon that I did on a broken toe (OK, so I liked it in the moment, but almost a year later, the toe is *still* healing), and I really shouldn't have done a 10K on a stress fracture.

genpopadopolous

I'm with some of the others.

There's a difference between "I'm just not feeling it" and "Should not have done that."

Usually it's just me being lazy and getting it done is the right choice. But there is one very memorable run when I went from a little sore to a WHOLE lot of pain. I had to call to be picked up, and couldn't run for months, I jacked my knee all up.

I have learned to rest or change plans when I need to, so that I can cone back harder in a week, not have to start over 4 months later.

urloved33

in the last month I pulled back on my workouts because I "did not feel all that well" and kept saying ill do more when I feel better - this week I have gotten up at 6am and hit the gym...I did not do it because I felt better - but I REALLY FEEL BETTER NOW...great post.

HoneyBadger302

Just "not feeling it" and doing it anyways? Never regretted one of those, even if I didn't particularly enjoy it.

I think I'm pretty good about listening to my body though, and there are definitely times when I just feel like I need a break. Maybe I'll do something else that is active, but not a workout persay, but there are days and times when a regular workout seems like a bad idea.

Shoot, I've even had those days where I show up to the gym, and half way through my workout, even after pushing through that initial "ugh" decided that NOPE, not happening, and called it a day. I don't regret the workout I did, but I don't regret calling it an early day, either.

cwolfman13

I regretted my ride today. I didn't check the weather and when I went out it was a little breezy but nice. Winds kicked up about half way through and I had a good 25-30 mph head wind coming back and the start of a sand storm. We're now in a high wind warning until 3am Friday.

I should know better with spring here...but I checked it yesterday and high wind wasn't in the forecast, so I thought it would be fine...not fine at all. I'm still digging sand out of everywhere.