Not too long ago, a couple of the podcasts I listen to touched on the topic of depression. Those episodes hit close to home, I admit. I don’t really try to hide the fact that I deal with depression and anxiety. I am lucky enough that I usually have it under control without medication. But I still have bad days when I just can’t bring myself to get up and get my scheduled workout in. I just feel too tired, too sore, or just too beat up to do it. But I have found a few things that help.
- Try Ten Minutes – I’ll make a deal with myself, especially those days I am feeling tired and run down, that I will just do 10 minutes. If I have a scheduled run… I’ll run for 10 minutes. If I am still not feeling it… I head back home. Most often though, by the time I hit those 10 minutes, I have found my stride and finish out the run or workout.
- Switch It Up – whether it is my route I am running or the workout I have scheduled. Sometimes picking up my weights is just too much, so I’ll spend my time stretching instead.
- Call Your Friends – jump in your Facebook Groups, text a friend who understands, or give your spouse the heads up that you need extra motivation to get your workout in. Have them help motivate you to get it done.
- Just Skip It (you didn’t expect that one, huh?) – most of the time exercise does help me feel better, but sometimes you just need to curl up on the couch and give yourself a break. Don’t feel guilty about it… sometimes it is exactly what you need. The fine line is not skipping workouts too often (guilty!)… listen to your BODY (not always your head in this case) and know when it really needs a break.
Try out one of these tricks next time you are not feeling up to your work out and let me know if it worked! And if you have any tips for getting your workout in, even when it is the last thing you want to do, please share them with me! I am always looking for new ways to battle the “blahs”.
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