This morning was my easy run. 3 miles, no big deal-right?!?! For some reason though I did not think it was going to be possible to finish. Everything in me wanted to stop and I thought I would never get it done. Why is it that I can train for a marathon while still have difficulty with my short run? Unfortunately, bad workouts are a part of everyones exercise regiment...
We all know the feeling. You drag yourself to the gym, the warm-up feels like a strain and you can barely get through the first 5 minutes of your exercise. It doesn't matter what the conditions are-you just can't go motivated and every muscle in your body is talking to you. You want nothing more than to throw in the towel but resist the urge to just give up. You can't walk out of a bad day at work...something is better than nothing when it comes to exercise.
So what causes a bad workout? A lot of the times it is just a bad day, and there seems to be no underlying cause. I had a high school calculus teacher who was all about biorhythms-she firmly believed we all went through cycles in which we had high and low points. At a low physical day, we just aren't up for the challenge no matter how hard we try.
More often than not though there are some factors that play into a workout. So what can we do to keep these bad workouts to a minimum?
1. A lack of motivation can bring us down and make the body physically fatigued. This can be from getting into a monotonous workout where it has just become a routine. You are doing the same exercise over and over or have completely lost sight of your goal. Keep changing things up so your body is always left guessing what is happening next. Remember what it is that you are working for so that you always have a reason for what you are doing.
2. Hydrate! Not getting enough water throughout the day can take a huge toll on the body and will bring down your energy level more than you realize. This is a total commitment, not just when you are thirsty. From the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep, you need to be getting plenty of fluids to fill your need.
3. Getting plenty of sleep, everynight! Stress and excessive hours at work can cause you to skimp on your sleep and get less-effective sleep. The days of eight-hours-of-sleep seem like nothing more than a distant memory but your body can't train to it's peak performance without sufficient recuperation time.
4. It is not safe or effective to train at your maximum level everyday. Hard days should never happen two-days in a row. After a difficult workout, take a day of rest or an easier workout. You should have 1-2 days of rest EVERY week and 2-3 easier workouts.
5. Eat right. Food fuels your body so fill it with the right things to give you the energy you need. Cheetos and Reese's are not going to get you through an hour workout. Rather provide your body fruits, vegetables, protein, carbs and fats so that you have a sufficient energy supply to pull from. While on the subject, you need to eat 30 minutes to an hour before your workout so that you have the energy you need.
When training does not go as planned, chalk it up as a bad day and don't let yourself dwell on it. Just get back into your routine and get over it!
Potluck Pumpkin (Better Recipes)
-2 small pie pumkins
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-3 medium onions (minced)
-3 celery stalks (diced)
-3 carrots (diced)
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup water
-3 cups brown rice
-1 teaspoon diced rosemary
-1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1. Preheat oven to 350. Wash shells of pumpkin. Cut off top and scoop out seeds and membranes.
2. Heat oil in skillet and saute onions until browned. Add celery and carrots and saute 2 minutes. Add salt and water and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Combine rice, rosemary and pumpkin seeds. Fill pumpkin cavities with rice mixture and onion mixture.
4. Place pumpkin on baking dish and cover with foil. Cook for 1.5 hours.
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