There are some times it's ok to skip your workout. We get told time and time again that the only way to see truly great results in your fitness mission is to maintain a regular workout regime, and for the most part, this is, of course, completely true. The more often you work out and the more regularly you incorporate exercise in to your daily life, the healthier and fitter you are going to be. However, there are certain occasions in your life, things that might happen and situations that might arise, that will warrant a pass on the day’s exercise schedule. Here are some of the most common times it’s ok to skip your workout.
One of primary times it's ok to skip your workout is if you are sick. When you are holed up in bed with a bug or the flu, it is no use getting up to exercise, because your body simply won’t have enough energy to complete the task! When you are suffering with a temporary illness, you need to rest as much as possible to allow your body to use all the energy it has to fight and get better as quick as it can. You will most likely be exhausted during this time, and any attempt at working out will be completely futile.
If you have had a really restless night, tossing and turning without getting any decent hours of sleep, then it is perfectly acceptable to skip your workout for the day. Running on empty fumes with no energy will only serve to set you back in your fitness mission because you will need more time to recover afterwards. Also, when you are tired you are less attentive and focused, which could lead to an injury.
There is no such thing as powering through when it comes to getting over an injury. If you pulled a muscle or took a tumble on your last jog, then you need to skip a couple of sessions to give yourself time to heal properly. If you keep irritating an injury, it will never fully heal and your long term fitness will suffer as a result.
If you are still sore from your last workout but not necessarily injured, it is still important to listen to your body and give it more time to recover. If you find that you are always sore, it could be an indicator of the fact that you are putting your body through a more extensive exercise regime than it might be able to cope with. Give yourself a break and think about testing out a less harsh regime to see if you feel less sore. This will end up being more productive, if you don’t have to skip any more days.
Being dedicated to your workout schedule is admirable and healthy, but sometimes people start to exercise every single day to the detriment of other parts of their lives. If your compulsion to work out is starting to affect your social or professional life, then it might be time to take a few days off to re-evaluate.