Working out isn’t fun for all of us, and we often make up excuses why we shouldn’t do it. However, there are only two reasons one should skip their workout. Unless you fall into one of the two categories below, then you should stick to your workout goals and get your body moving!
Reason One: You Have An Injury
If you’ve been working out too hard and have injured a joint or muscle, it’s time to skip your workouts until your injuries heal. When a muscle or joint is not in proper working condition and you feel pain, that’s your body’s way of telling you to take it easy for a while. Rest at home and treat your injury accordingly.
However, do make sure you can tell an injury apart from muscle soreness; some soreness after weight training is common and will go away in 2 or 3 days. If what you have is muscle soreness, you can take a rest with the weights but continue with your cardio. An injury basically means a sprained body part, dislocated joint or a torn muscle. If it’s painful enough to stop you from doing your basic every day activities, then it’s an injury.
Reason Two: You’re Sick
Suffering with a terrible cold or down with a fever? There’s your reason for skipping a workout. When your body is fighting off an infection, it’s working hard to do it, so cut it some slack and get some rest. Enough sleep and proper hydration will help you get better faster and be in tip-top workout shape again. Skipping your workout can help also you prevent spreading your illness to others, especially if you frequent the gym a lot.
If your doctor advises you to not exercise heavily because of a particular disease, then listen to your physician. There may only be a limited amount of exercise you can do in this case. And no, illnesses that you make up in your mind don’t count!
Now that you know the only two reasons you should skip your workout, stop exercising if you know you are ill or injured. Exercise may be tough, but it definitely brings a lot of benefit by improving your fitness and strengthening your body overall. Try to get at least half an hour of exercise into your daily routine if possible. It will certainly do you lots of good.