Do you feel like you should exercise, but you just can't bring yourself to do it? Maybe you even make it as far as the gym some days, but once you get there, all the enthusiasm and energy just drain out of your body.
Many people beat themselves up for feeling this way and not meeting their physical fitness goals. But there's good news: you're not alone, and it's not your fault. There's a reasonable explanation for why you've completely lost your desire to exercise. It's called workout burnout. And yes, there are ways to get past it and regain your fervor for fitness.
We'll get into the ways to overcome workout burnout in a moment. But first, let's explain what workout burnout is and 4 signs that it's hitting you hard.
What Is Workout Burnout?
Workout burnout is when you get completely burned out – that is, exhausted, listless, and maybe even physically sick – from physical exercise.
According to fitness expert Jillian Michaels, workout burnout is most often caused by “overtraining” and "under recovery.” That means that you're probably pushing yourself too hard and not taking enough time to recover from high-intensity or high-impact exercises.
4 Signs of Feeling Burnt Out with Your Workout
If you think you're feeling burnt out with exercise but you're not sure, here are four signs that may confirm it.
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Feeling Tired a Lot: One of the signs of workout burnout is feeling tired all the time. This is because your body has been pushed past its limits to the brink of exhaustion.
Lost Motivation: Another sign is lost motivation. You have absolutely no desire to work out because you know instinctively that it will put more strain on your already stressed body.
Always Finding Excuses Not To Go To the Gym: If you always find excuses not to go to the gym, that could be an avoidance tactic that your mind has adopted to avoid activities that are hurting your body.
Lack of Immunity and Frequent Muscle Soreness: The more exhausted you become from exercising too much, the more you'll experience a lack of immunity – meaning, you'll get sick a lot because your immune system doesn't have enough energy to protect you from germs and viruses.
You'll also feel frequent muscle soreness because you're not warming up, cooling down, and resting before and after exercising.
5 Things You Can Do To Overcome Workout Burnout
We know that exercising is good for us. But we can't go on as we used to do, either.
Below are five things you can do to change your habits and attitudes toward exercise and overcome workout burnout.
Take a Break
There's nothing wrong with taking a break from exercising for a while. In fact, your doctor may recommend it if you're suffering serious physical or mental setbacks from how intensely you were working out previously.
Remember that rest and relaxation are just as important as staying physically active.
Set More Achievable Goals
If you're accustomed to exercising hard, you may want to think about your fitness goals and ask yourself if you've set them too high.
For the sake of your health and wellbeing, consider setting more achievable fitness goals. There's no shame in scaling back, especially when your body is sending you clear signals that it needs you to slow down.
Switch Up Your Exercise Activities
If you don't want to take a break from exercising, then simply switching up your activities and changing locations may help.
For example, if you're used to going to the gym to exercise, get a folding treadmill like this one from Redliro and take it to work or use it at home. That way, you can jog or walk from the comfort of a familiar place. Walking, in particular, is a low-impact exercise that can help you stay active while putting less pressure on your sore muscles and joints.
Get Enough Sleep
We can't stress enough how important sleep is. When you're asleep, your body undergoes natural processes to heal itself, balance your hormones, and prepare you for a new day. Sleep deprivation, meanwhile, has been linked to all kinds of diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression.
Eat a Healthy Diet with Enough Calories
Most people mistakenly think that if they want to be healthy, they need to eat less. But this is a myth, especially if you exercise. Your body needs energy to exercise, and the main source of energy for the body is calories.
The key is to get calories from a healthy diet. Try eating more protein, fruits, and vegetables instead of junk food and fast food.
Workout burnout can seriously affect not just your physical health and energy, but also your mental and emotional wellbeing. Follow the tips we recommended to allow your body to rest and rejuvenate. And don't forget that you can keep moving, but at a more achievable pace, with the Redliro Walking Pad.
