No matter how strong your reasons for getting fit or how consistently you make it to FitClub, we have all had a workout or two that didn’t go the way we hoped. Maybe you were tired from a night of poor sleep, suffering the effects of a bad day at the office, or you just didn’t have the strength you expected. No matter why you didn’t feel your workout had been strong enough, you can either spend your evening worrying about what went wrong and feeling sorry for yourself or you can flip it on its head and use a disappointing workout to your advantage.
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Focus on what went right. No matter how disappointed you are in your workout or your effort, there is always something positive to take away from the experience. Patting yourself on the back for the smallest accomplishment is a far better way to stay motivated and engaged in your healthy lifestyle than beating yourself up. It may be that one rep was stronger than last week, your form was better, or just one minute on the treadmill was faster this time. It’s enough, some days, to just celebrate the fact that you made time for a workout when there were other tempting offers on your schedule. Finding one bright spot in a dismal workout will free your mind and leave you with a positive attitude to start from for your next workout.
Evaluate your workout. After you’ve had a chance to find the bright spot, you can give yourself a minute to think about what you could do differently for your next workout. This isn’t an opportunity to judge yourself or frame your workout in a negative way, but rather, a good chance to take stock of what you want out of your workouts. Could you have gotten more sleep before a morning workout or fueled yourself better before you pushed hard? Is it that you’re bored with your current routine and just need to give yourself the mental and physical challenge of trying something new? Choosing just one thing you can do differently will turn a disappointing workout into an opportunity to understand yourself and your fitness habits better for the future.
Commit to working out again soon. Don’t let too much time slide by before you hit FitClub for a new, fresher, stronger workout. You don’t want to give yourself more time than necessary to let the disappointing workout fester and lead you astray. Instead, give your body the time it needs to recover. If you’ve been feeling physically or mentally burned out, try a new group exercise class, workout routine, or work with a personal trainer to get to the root of what you really want out of your fitness experience. The sooner you can experience a great, revitalizing workout, the easier it will be to maintain your consistency and achieve your goals.
Have you experienced a disappointing workout? You’re not alone! Share your experience in the comments with your fellow FitClub members who have been there, too!
