Do you workout even when you're tired?

LadyTalulah
LadyTalulah Posts: 174 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I try to hit the gym five times a week but lately I've been overworked with school. Although I have very few classes, this last week I've spent my time intensively studying and writing assignments non-stop.
I haven't been consistent enough with workouts because I just haven't had time but tonight I have the time and can't seem to muster up the energy to go. I finally have a night off from school work and I just want to chill at home and be lazy… I feel bad about not going though when I've already missed so many days and will probably continue to do so as next week is going to be crazy as well..
Anyways, do you go to the gym even if you're really tired? Do you feel guilty if you miss a few workouts? Do you consider a "healthy" workout regime one where you're consistent or one where you allow yourself a few unplanned for "off" days?
(By the way, I believe to each their own. Do whatever keeps you healthy AND happy)

Replies

  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    Generally, yes. It doesn't matter if I'm feeling fantastic, good, meh, stressed, tired or whatever except for sick. I show up and I get my stuff done.

    However, if I'm feeling exceptionally beat up, I'll get permission to skip and just do my correctives and light stretching. It happens about once a year on average.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,338 Member
    Depends on how and what kind of tired I am...if I'm bone tired, can hardly lift my head or open my eyes, no. If I'm just "oh it's Tuesday, and I'm bored of everything, think I'll bail tonite" kind of tired, which happens weekly, then yes, I try my best. I don't expect too much of myself on those nites tho, and sometimes instead of a workout I'll pull out a yoga or stretching video; my thinking is I may not be building muscle or losing weight during that time, but I'm still improving myself while giving myself a break.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    Yes, I go when I'm tired. I find I'm even more grouchy when skipping a lifting session. So then I'm tired AND grouchy. Plus, I've had some of the best lifting sessions when I've felt tired. Not sure why that is but I've gone in feeling tired and either killed it on volume or a pr.
    Only time I don't go is if I'm sick. Not a minor cold sick, but feeling like crap, lungs hurting sick, usually a fevers involved too.
  • Ashtoretet
    Ashtoretet Posts: 378 Member
    If I'm tired before the gym I just grab a coffee on the way there.
  • antennachick
    antennachick Posts: 464 Member
    Yes...im i didnt go the gym when I was tires I would never go lol actually it gives me energy after I do some cardio.
    however if you arent getting enough sleep then skipping a workout might be better. Have you look into classes for credit or to add to your gpa? Most college exercise classes just base your grade on attendance, hows that for motivation ? ;)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited November 2015
    If I skip the gym there is a really good reason, it's usually beyond being tired...more like if I'm completely beaten down. And I always have a back up plan on how I'm still going to get all my lifts in that week if I skip.

    Now I'm bulking so no way I'm going to skip. I'm afraid I'll just get fat.
  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    Sitting and doing schoolwork/computer use makes us feel tired and sleepy, some more so than others. Try to get your workout in BEFORE you sit down to do those things.
  • mikene12
    mikene12 Posts: 184 Member
    Tired right now, but still got legs & back done. Would have felt too guilty to skip it. Sometimes I have to will myself into getting it done, but always worth it.
  • lbaxandall
    lbaxandall Posts: 62 Member
    I only skip the gym if I'm really sore or overworked, then my body is telling me it needs a break! If I'm just feeling blah, or am sick, I still come and hop on the treadmill and walk... sometimes that's all I do, sometimes that's enough to give me a little boost and I end up getting my workout in!
  • Working2BLean
    Working2BLean Posts: 386 Member
    I was tired after dinner

    But I had some ice cream that put me over on calories so I jumped on the stationary bike and worked it off
  • ltworide
    ltworide Posts: 342 Member
    My workout is a habit. I always do my scheduled workout unless I'm sick or an emergency crops up. I adjust my workout depending on how I feel if needed, if the lifts/exercises are not going right I'll back off a bit by increasing rest, decrease the sets, etc. Often when I'm feeling blah or tired once I get started I find I feel better & get done what I planned.
  • christch
    christch Posts: 238 Member
    If I skipped the gym bcos I was tired I'd never go. I aim for 5 nights week of lifting, with the last couple of weeks missing sessions as kids have had school things we've had to attend oh and hubby and daughter'sbirthday. Going to the gym is the only me time I get and I don't really like to miss it.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Of course. If I didn't work out when I was tired I'd never work out.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    If I'm really tired, I will force myself to start, and give myself permission to modify or cut it short if I need to, but I inevitably find that once I start, I'm good to go,
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    If I'm generally tired I just suck it up and go. I almost always tend to feel better afterwards. On rare days I suck it up and go and still feel crappy during my workout. In that case I give myself permission to cut the workout short. Then there are days when you genuinely are exhausted, sick, hurt or so sore you can barely move. It's okay to skip a workout on those days provided that these occassions are few and far between. If they start to become more frequent you need to ask yourself whether your workout schedule is realistic or whether you should be eating better, hydrating better and sleeping.

    Maybe go for a half hour walk or do some yoga for half an hour and then give yourself permission to chill out after. Sometimes I find if you trick yourself by saying "I'll just do 20 minutes and then I can stop if I want" you'll end up feeling okay when you get going
  • Working2BLean
    Working2BLean Posts: 386 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    If I'm really tired, I will force myself to start, and give myself permission to modify or cut it short if I need to, but I inevitably find that once I start, I'm good to go,

    This is it, more often than not.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    At the end of the day, it's your body and only you will know what's right for it (and your mental health). You do tend to get better with experience in knowing intuitively when you should push and when to give yourself permission to skip.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    I definitely do. Most of the time feeling "tired" is really just "lazy" for me - once the workout begins I usually have great sessions even when I was "tired" ahead of time.

    20 minutes before working out is the time I feel like I should compete with the sloth for the world's slowest land animal. 20 minutes after working out I feel on top of the world.
  • anl90
    anl90 Posts: 928 Member
    I always make sure to fit in my daily walk. If I'm not home, or have days like today where I have dealt with a massive migraine, I (reluctantly) skip it. I have gotten better about not making excuses, though!
  • ragenhay1
    ragenhay1 Posts: 158 Member
    I have a three month old baby who isn't sleeping through the night yet. I am always tired :) I force myself to go to the gym five days a week while my older boy is at school. It sucks at first but by the end I feel energized and proud I made it through.
  • amberlyda1
    amberlyda1 Posts: 154 Member
    General tired. Yes. It might not be my best work out...but I'm burning more than sitting on the couch. If I'm actually tired, like I can not roll out of bed tired...then I'll skip. My schedule is literally crazy and I don't want to push my body too far past it's breaking point...I always end up sick when I do that and that would kill me right now
  • LernRach
    LernRach Posts: 286 Member
    I find when I go to gym when I'm tired, they are my best workouts...!! Maybe because I work much harder, knowing I might "give in" to the tiredness... I also find myself buzzing when I leave so if I am tired and have a lot to do I make sure I go do some exercise...
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Iron_Miss_Canada wrote: »
    Generally, yes. It doesn't matter if I'm feeling fantastic, good, meh, stressed, tired or whatever except for sick. I show up and I get my stuff done.

    However, if I'm feeling exceptionally beat up, I'll get permission to skip and just do my correctives and light stretching. It happens about once a year on average.

    this.

    I'm pretty much tired all the time- if I didn't workout when I was tired- I'd never workout. Success comes from what @Iron_Miss_Canada posted right here- showing up and getting the work done.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    i have a toddler and a 5 year old...i've been tired for 5 years...if i didn't workout just because i was tired, i'd never workout.
  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,213 Member
    I workout when I'm tired. I workout less when I'm sick, but I still do something.
  • cdmeier31
    cdmeier31 Posts: 2 Member
    Yes... I find that training actually makes me less tired. I'm big on the mental side of training. In that, even that I'm tired, I have to be hyped up. By focusing on just lifting and nothing else you will forget about everything and be in the right mind set for it. It's hard to be tired when you know you have to push hard and be hyped to get best the best results.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Why are so many of us tired???

    I have plenty of time to sleep, but everything needs to be just right for me to get good quality sleep, and often isn't.
  • noclady1995
    noclady1995 Posts: 452 Member
    I always have to try to figure if I'm just being lazy or tired. I've talked myself out of a workout or several because I was being lazy. Although, sometimes my body is just wiped out from stress of work and school and a busy family schedule. I don't want to tax my body so much that I get sick. So I will choose sleep over a workout in that case.
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
    Tired, yes. Fatigued, no.

    Maybe 5 days a week is too much with the load you are carrying. But instead of each day deciding if you should go, perhaps in this season, choose (for example) to go M-W-F. So you are still working out regularly, but not overdoing it. I think if you plan your days "off" it might help with your guilt when you don't go.

Categories