We all get those days where our intentions are great, we’re feeling pretty good about things, and then crash – our workout is nothing short of a major flop.
Here’s why it’s important to bring your best to each session.
1 Injury
A bad session leaves room for an injury through poor form, inadequate rest or loss of focus.
2 Motivation
It goes without saying that having an unproductive session can impact your motivation in general.
In many cases, workout remorse can kick in with all sorts of toxic thinking about goals, inadequacy etc, etc!
3 Not enough recovery
With a less-than-satisfactory workout comes the urge to hit your next workout in a shorter timeframe than planned.
This is not allowing the recovery between sessions that you might need, and risks another bad workout to follow.
4 Poor food choices
Feeling disappointed with your session can encourage cloudy decisions around food choices.
Also read: Hit a Weight Loss Plateau? Here’s How to Break It
5 Elevated stress levels
A bad workout can increase your production of cortisol, which is the stress hormone.
This provides a chain reaction in the body, whereby you’re more likely to feel dreadful instead of euphoric!
6 Interrupted sleep
Getting enough good-quality sleep is one of the key factors in a successful routine.
With disturbed patterns in your sleep and simply not getting enough, you’re not giving your body its best chance to repair and recover.
The stress caused by bad workouts can play heavy on our minds, so it’s important to dust off negative feelings attached to them and make peace with it being a one-off.
7 Loss of focus
Not feeling great about our exercise – if only for a single workout – can dent our focus.
Old fears, patterns and thoughts of self-sabotage can creep in, which could sound like “You’ll never get there” or “It’s too hard”.
8 Not following productive movements
If you have had a bad workout, you may start to question your approach altogether.
A common trap is to fall back into a false sense of security with something that feels easier to achieve. This is not a helpful way to challenge yourself!
9 Unrealistic expectations
Setting goals is a good way to track progress, and it’s important to be realistic about where you’re at through all stages.
Bad workouts can often happen due to incorrect programming and setting unrealistic expectations.
Be realistic about your journey and give each session your best for a super-productive approach.
10 Giving up altogether
While it’s not uncommon to have a sub-par workout, don’t let one bad session break your stride.
A consistent approach is key to achieving those goals!
