Yesterday and this morning, I have felt so emotionally low that I don’t want to go to the gym.  Maybe I should clarify…

I feel emotionally low about going to the gym.  I went yesterday morning, and I did 30 minutes on the treadmill, with every intention of doing 60, but I just couldn’t finish.  By 5 minutes, I wanted to get off.  My calves were hurting, I was bored, not looking forward to 55 more minutes.  I just couldn’t do it.  I tried different music, which helped for about a minute or two.  But before the song was even done, I felt down again, and just wanted to get off.  It was hard doing the weight lifting, although I managed to get through that.  I probably didn’t push myself hard enough on the weights.  But I got through it.  That treadmill, though, I just couldn’t get past it.  I woke up this morning feeling the same way.  I just have NO motivation to go to the gym and do what needs doing.

I don’t want to take a rest day.  But I feel very inclined to. 

Any thoughts?  Has anyone gone through this, and how did you push through it?

Some days I feel the same with my walks. My calves start burning really badly and I just can’t match my good days.

The only thing I know to do is look for why I’m not feeling “up” that day. Maybe I didn’t balance my carbohydrates sufficiently. I think that’s usually the problem when I’m otherwise feeling pretty good. Some people can feel “emotionally down” to even extreme levels when their diet wasn’t very well balanced that day. That’s what I’ve found for myself.

Generally directed, it’s also probably a good idea to just examine what’s going on in your life at the time, maybe something’s bothersome to you without you having really thought about it.

Oh yeah.  Been there, too.  I’m not going to a gym for workouts right now, but I’ve definitely had days like that when I get up and look at my treadmill and think, “Oh no.  I’m just not up for it today.”

Have you been giving yourself regular rest days?  If not, it’s time! 

Only you can know whether it would be better to try and continue to workout through the emotional resistance or not.  My experience is that it’s better for me to NOT try and push myself through.  I find that I can become very resentful and dig in my heels even further when I try to push myself. 

I respond much better when I simply listen to what my body and overall energy level are trying to tell me.  I either decide to just take a shorter, slow stroll on the treadmill that day, or I give myself unconditional permission to take the day off from exercise - not a grudging, guilty kind of permission, but REAL deep-down permission to just be a complete slug for the day.  And I use that time off to take a look at how I’ve been exercising, how I’ve been eating, what else may be going on in my life emotionally at the time.  I try to learn from the resistance I’m feeling.

For me, I’ve found that I get renewed enthusiasm for exercise much faster that way.

Hope this helps!

I also wonder if your body is screaming for a change of routine.  Is it possible to mix it up a little?  You may be getting bored with the same old same old.

Yep, been there too!

It is difficult, but please keep in mind, you DID do something so don’t be too hard on yourself. I would agree with trying something different, mix it up a bit. Maybe a class, or a walk outside, yoga at home...so many different things you could do.

The best thing is the feeling will pass and before you know it, you will be back on track emotionally.

I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood.  I got excited about it, so maybe it was about a change.  Next time I will just slow down on the treadmill, or try a different machine.  Really, though, taking a walk was a BIG mistake…

See, I live in Phoenix AZ.  I took my walk at 9:30am until 10:30am.  By 10:15, I was so hot and exhausted, I was miserable.  My feet hurt, I was sweating like mad, and I think I was beginning to die, because I just felt miserable.  But it was nice to be excited about doing cardio again…

It was about 105 during my walk outside.  Very hot.  Very difficult. 

When I got home, I jumped in a cold bath and sat for about ten minutes.  I took a shower, and continued to sweat for a good twenty minutes.  It was bad.  I won’t work out outside again for a couple more months at least…

Scott, you thought Florida was bad…

Hmmm, maybe hold off on the outside walks for a few months! It’s winter here and beautiful for walking.

Glad you felt like moving again!

It was about 105 during my walk outside.  Very hot.  Very difficult. 

with heat like that, we tend to do our walks in the wee hours of the morning.  Does it cool down overnight at all?

Make sure you’re taking some water with you if you do walk earlier (if it’s cooler) ... pretty important this time of year.

Ada

My workouts can be epic some time, there are a couple of things that help:
1) break it up into smaller pieces and do them all a the same time- example-set the treadmill for 20 minutes for 3 times, you’ll actually end up doing more than 60 minutes.

2) in your head count down the minutes, I say to myself, ok I did 2 minutes I’m 1/30th of the way there at about 45 minutes I start counting down from the last 15 minutes.

3) set the timer on the tread mill for 60 minutes and cover the display.

4) make up a story and tell every one on the forum.

5)strike up a conversation with a stranger

6) reach for your inner hamster, a hamster can run aimlessly for hours,he moves for the sake of movement!

It was about 105 during my walk outside.  Very hot.  Very difficult.

That’s pretty hot.

My friend is in a Iraq right now, and it’s 115 in the daytime over there. And he’s got that gear........Oh man, that’s hot.

Maybe all that heat in your everyday activities has ya down. It does me. Then its time to take a day and coold down.

I’ve had a motivation problem before - It will be after supper and my husband and the tv beckon - it is very hard to get up and go for my LSB bike ride.  My solution? - I tell myself - I will just make one loop (around town, out to the cemetary and back - I live in a small town) and then I can call it quits.  I have never just done the one - I usually forget the excuses and am done with my normal 3 loops before I know it!  I guess what I’m saying is - make it interesting, do something fun - the time will fly!

The heat is not cool (pun intended!). 

I do the breaking up thing on the treadmill.  I like to think at 20 minutes that I only have to do it two more times. 

Today was good, so I must’ve gotten past it.  I really don’t go out much in the summertime.  It was in the 110s recently, but the heat wave went away.  It’ll be back there again soon.  Our record is 122, so I know what heat is!!!  I can imagine the Iraq thing.  Probably pretty similar to here.  But with all that gear… Yikes!!!

But at least the motivation is back!

“cover the display”—I have thought of this.  But I don’t know how much that would help… It’s worth a shot I guess.