Hi folks,
Happy Hump Day compadres!
Okay, off we go. The hotly anticipated Part II of “Hating exercise and other reasons why we miss workouts and what we can do about it” is here hot off the presses. Let’s quickly recap Part I.
Despite our best intentions, sticking to a consistent fitness or exercise schedule can be a tremendous challenge for a number of reasons. Rather than rehashing those reasons here see my last post https://www.46sportfitnessrehab.com/hating-exercise-and-other-reasons-why-we-miss-workouts-and-what-we-can-do-about-it-part-i/ for a refresher.
As mentioned, the important thing to keep in mind when you find things are going south with your workouts is to recognize what the cause is behind your slip-up.
This will enable you to deal with the prevalent issue(s) by implementing a plan or strategy to effectively correct the situation.
No doubt you are waiting with bated breath for my earth-shattering answer to all of life’s challenges as they relate to your health and fitness specifically “keeping consistent in your damn workouts.”
As you are undoubtedly aware just like nothing in life is free so there is no magic bullet for solving the many external and internal influences affecting our lifestyle choices.
The first step is in recognizing the issue at hand. Sometimes this can be clearly evident such as an injury. Other times the issue can be more difficult to pinpoint such as when you are depressed.
Injuries are usually quite apparent so recognizing this can be rather simple. Depression is a whole other ballgame.
There are different degrees of depression and many folks may not even be aware that they are depressed. Other forms of mental illness such as anxiety or panic attacks can also influence one’s ability to maintain consistency in their training.
If you or someone close to you suspects you may be depressed it would be advisable to speak with your family doctor. They will be best suited to help with determining a course of action. I know when I recognized that I was in a depression I was certainly glad I spoke with my doctor!
Assuming that an injury is the issue, what can you do? Well, depending upon the extent of the injury, your course of action could be somewhat different. In most cases a good coach or trainer, in concert with a medical professional such as a physiotherapist or chiropractor, can certainly put together a program to not only rehab the affected area but also keep you building and progressing toward your fitness and performance goal(s).
Depression is a major debilitating factor in not only keeping consistent with your workouts but also in maintaining a stable and productive lifestyle. Once you have recognized that you are depressed and have seen your health professional, hopefully, you are in a position to get back to what makes you feel great…being active and exercising regularly!
There is an abundance of scientific studies which unequivocally illustrates the positive effects regular exercise has on mental well-being. I cannot emphasize this enough. It can literally be a life saver. I know that personally, exercise and working out has carried me through some of my life’s darkest moments.
Depression can leave you in a vicious cycle. It can take Herculean efforts to accomplish even the simplest of life’s daily tasks never mind trying to perform even the simplest of workouts. The black hole of depression can swallow up any reserve energy you may have. It takes away your motivation and forces you into changing your priorities.
Even when things are great in life, exercise and working out tends to be located on the lower rungs of your personal ladder of priorities. It is when you are feeling like shit that you NEED to reevaluate and make exercise a top end priority. This will start you on your road to recovery and before you know it you will have that bounce back in your step.
The positive feedback loop you have generated will sustain your momentum and put you back on solid footing. Making this happen is easier said than done. Having a work-out buddy, coach, or trainer will go a long way to 
ensuring you will not ‘slip’ and fall back once again. Should you ‘slip’ they will be there to provide the support, encouragement, and the accountability needed to prop you back up again.
I realize that I have somewhat limited our discussion to injuries and depression and how they can derail your workouts. In Part I we touched on a number of additional contributing factors such as general aversion to exercise, lack of time, and lack of knowledge.
These are important issues which need to be discussed so you can ensure your success in keeping up a consistent workout schedule.
Part 3 of “Hating exercise and other reasons why we miss workouts and what we can do about it” will give you some more tools for the toolbox in the fight against exercise apathy!
Talk soon!