Gym guilt! How to stop

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Kittyy1994
Kittyy1994 Posts: 108 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there, does anyone else get a serious case of guilt if you miss a workout? I normally work out 5 days a week and walk dog everyday and I have gotten into the habit of really beating myself up if I miss one session/wall. Has anyone else had this? It has gotten to the point that I have been very sick this week with a cold- so sick I have had time off work yet I still forced myself to go and workout at the gym (and felt awful during and after!) How can I stop this guilt. I know I am not going to get unfit/gain weight if I skip one day, I just cannot help feeling bad and don’t want it becoming a habit and slack off completely...... anyone else experiencing this?

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  • mdreddie
    mdreddie Posts: 73 Member
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    I haven't been to the gym in 10 years. I have no gym guilt. I do hate to miss a workout though because I love how much stronger I feel day to day by working out each day, so I can definitely relate. But don't think that just because you can't get to the gym, you're slacking off on your fitness goals. There are other ways to work out. And if you're so sick that a day's rest away from the gym would do you some good, then take the day off. Think long-term, not all or nothing. All or nothing is downright draining and will lead to mindless stress and anxiety, which will make sticking to your goals in the long-run that much harder. So I say no guilt. Just keep on trucking, and you'll meet your goals.
  • Circa1964
    Circa1964 Posts: 225 Member
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    I don't think it's guilt. It may be the idea of not being Perfect at something that is bothering you. You need to have that internal conversation that it's not serving you well to think those thoughts. I agree about staying away from public places if not feeling well. Rest is always good for your body.
  • must_deflate
    must_deflate Posts: 183 Member
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    If the guilt motivates you to go back as soon as you are feeling well, then it's helping.

    But no point in feeling guilty for staying home while you're sick-- if you did make yourself go to the gym then you would be spreading germs around and that's a more valid reason for feeling guilty than NOT going (while sick).

    Walking the dog, however, could be helpful to get things moving around once you are not feeling *terrible*.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    edited February 2019
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    Circa1964 wrote: »
    I don't think it's guilt. It may be the idea of not being Perfect at something that is bothering you. You need to have that internal conversation that it's not serving you well to think those thoughts. I agree about staying away from public places if not feeling well. Rest is always good for your body.

    I agree, I think we have to back it up from just gym-going to potentially some form of perfectionism. In this case, figuring out what fear is there that OP thinks might happen if they miss a day? I struggle a little with perfectionism, albeit not with gym going, and for me, I would feel like, if I missed a day, that I'm now out of the habit and won't want to go again. Doesn't have to be super logical, our brains are just weird.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Do not go to the gym when you're sick and spread your sick around to everyone else.

    No, I do not feel guilty if I miss a workout or a ride. Missing a workout or a ride here and there isn't particularly material to my fitness long term or to the bigger picture. I've recently had to take off a couple of weeks due to fracturing my patella. I don't feel guilty...I'm healing and going and trying to workout or ride with my knee would only prolong the injury or cause other problems. It's the smart move to rest and heal so I can get back sooner rather than later.

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Please don't go to the gym when you're sick! I personally skip the gym when I've got an infectious disease and I count on others doing the same. It's hard enough to stay healthy during cold and flu season without people making decisions that put others at unnecessary risk.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
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    if it makes you feel better I went to the gym for a year and never lost a pound. The next year I got my eating right and lost 40 lbs so I think the gym is a small part of it. Relax, enjoy yourself some and if you can make it to the gym and if not that is ok also. Go for a walk or ride a bike, same thing.

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