Walk Of Shame

see heres the thing. the minute i start thinking of the gym as something i have to feel shame for not going to, and something i have to do not matter if i want to or not, i will just cancel my membership.

i like the gym, i enjoy going there. some days i want to, some days i dont. there are many ways to get exersize in without forcing onesself to do it at the gym.

i want to continue liking it so i dont treat it like a chore or source of shame.

i go or i dont. if i dont, i run all my errands on foot that day, or go for a bike ride, or lift my barbell at home instead, or play tennis against a wall somewhere, or swim in the pool, or run outdoors... or whatever i want.

i am not saying that making excuses for not exersizing is a good idea, just that there are many ways to get it done, that it should be something you like, that it shouldnt be shameful.

I play mind games with myself. I tell myself that I must walk through the door and do something for ten minutes and then can leave. But 99 times out of 100, once I get started, I continue going with whatever the original plan was. And then as I'm leaving, I feel smug that I've managed to outsmart myself again.

^^ totally this

Thought this was an entirely different topic.

Oh me too...the title was soooo misleading huh

As my Mother used to say 'You don't have to like it, you just have to do it'

^^^Like this one, Mothers do know best!!

Depends - do you have days during the week scheduled where you don't go? Can you switch the day around so you can take this one off? Sometimes our body does need a break and packed up or not - you should listen to what your body tells you. But if it's just laziness, then don't let it be an excuse.

Also, if you did skip - could you work in other exercises (non-gym) throughout the day to make up a different type of challenge for yourself?

I don't think you should get bent out of shape for one day, but don't let it go for 2 days in a row without having a valid reason.

Good luck.

Sometimes I make a bargain with my lazy self: Just go to the gym and warm up. You can leave if you're really not feeling it once you're there.

I've only left twice in 4 years, and both times were because the headache I had when I left the house turned in to a migraine.

I have half-assed a few workouts, though. Sometimes I'm just not at my best and I can accept that.

Once in a while, if I have been working out consistently, I'll let myself skip one. But I do find that if I skip one workout, it makes it easier to skip the next, and the next and the next....

Sometimes, if I'm not feeling a particular workout, I'll do an alternate... if I don't feel like packing my gym stuff and driving to the gym, I'll run with the dog, or do a circuit training video, or go to a yoga class. I like having options -- they really help with burnout.

My schedule is really packed right now with FT work, FT grad school and FT mom-ing so I try to plan a workout wherever I can fit it in. I am not rigid about what it will be, just that I need to do it. This morning I ran HIIT and then lifted at home with my adjustable dumbbells. Friday I may try a hot yoga class, or I may do a steady run and weights. Saturday will be a family yoga class. I used to lift heavy and regularly, but it's not working for me now. If you're feeling mentally burned out, you may want to add variety or try something new.

Go anyways.

i just had one of those days...er months...this month. for me i have to shift my workouts to a time of day where i don't have other distractions. so thats late at night mostly.

I do it anyway.

Two years ago, I would have done the same thing you did and not give it a second thought. Now, I'm at the point where missing a workout pisses me off.

I find that even when i am not in the mood ( very rare) i go anyway because once i put the headphones in i end up feeling like its game on. Getting there is half the battle. I just tell myself i will do a little something and sometimes it turns out the be one of the best workouts i have that week.