How do you deal with your bad days?

[MidwestBeast]

I'm sure several threads similar to this are floating around, but I didn't see anything too recent. Had a great Saturday, but yesterday was a little rough and it's rolled right into my Monday. This is pretty common for me. I'm very much OCD in my schedule and how I do things and my routine was thrown off by having basketball cancelled yesterday at church. My normal workout split is as follows:

Monday: Chest
Tuesday: Back
Wednesday: Off (optional cardio)
Thursday: Arms:
Friday: Legs
Saturday: Delts/Traps (and now basketball league games)
Sunday: Basketball for 2 hours

I let my body rest when it needs it, but honestly, it rarely does. And I do very well from the endorphin release from training. It keeps my head centered. No meds for anxiety, depression, etc. I've found that keeps me very mentally and emotionally balanced (as well as the obvious physical benefits).

Anyway, I could have went and just ran yesterday, but I hate running lol. If it's a sport or yard work, etc., I'm good. I can do it all day. So I thought "meh, I'll just take the day off" since we couldn't find basketball at any other alternate locations.

Went to bed early to hit the gym before work this morning. Well, my alarm went off, but it was raining and the air was perfect. I slept with the sliding glass door open and the sound of the rain, plus the very subtle mid 50-degree breeze made me soooo happy. So I just stayed there. Kind of drifted back out a few times, but was awake for a lot of it over the next 2 hours before I finally got up and showered for work.

I'm really feeling it now, as I'll have to wait til afterward to hit the gym, but it was worth it in that moment, I suppose.

Anyway, back to my main question -- how do you deal with "off" days like this? I'll lift and when I get to do that, it'll help, but what else do you do? Just curious how others handle the lows (if you experience them).

 

[hairygrandpa]

I'm less obsessed with sport.

If I feel weak before workout, I skip gym.
When I feel weak during workout, I either:
- start to punish my limbs with high volume and low weight
- or switch to therapeutic exercises for rotor cuff and knees

 

[kisaj]

I take them in stride as I have always believed you need the lows to appreciate the highs. I don't get down very often, but as a father, husband, stressful career having man, I carry a lot inside and even when I don't feel any motivation, I try to get a sweat in even if it is just taking the dog on a long walk because the thought of iron or other training isn't there.

We've been going through a little rough spot in my house with my kids being sick, my daughter getting a febrile seizure and us spending a weekend in Children's then me getting the flu and then sinus infection- it's mentally and emotionally taxing. I had a good couple of cries to myself thinking about my daughter and just let myself be human and not always needing to be the rock. It's been a month and we are coming out of the funk as a family. One thing I try to keep in perspective is that no matter how I feel or what I am dealing with, there is always someone that is having a tougher day.

 

[UCSMiami]

My old gym was enroute to the house from work. There were days I did not want to go but would anyway due to traffic being congested and it was something to kill time while traffic lessened. Once inside at a workout, things would change, I would feel better, mojo would return and sure enough that I do not want to train initial feeling was replaced by the I am glad I went.

The new gym is one mile beyond my house so I have to be focused and not find a reason to stay home on those days I do not want to go. My GF is the main motivator now as we go at night and I feel weird seeing her go and me stay home. So off I go and again the above repeats, I am happy I went in the end.

As for dealing with schedule interruptions- that is life. My gym is packed M-TR so one has to have a few backup plans. There is always something to do. If it is an exterior event as in your basketball I am sure there are other things suitable other than the dreaded running.

Sometimes kicking back and relaxing is just the right thing to do as well. Once you are conditioned you really do not need to kill yourself all the time.

 

[Aleksandar37]

A day is just a day and I try and not overthink it. Since I deal with multiple clients who constantly have "emergencies", my schedule gets messed up all of the time. If my plan is to train at 3 and I see an opportunity to go at 1, I'll just go at 1 because I know there's a large possibility that something is going to happen and conflict with my plan to train at 3. I work from home though, so I have an advantage that others might not have as far as work/life balance. I used to be really obsessive about my schedule as well and would get upset if I had to change things even if it was for something fun, but I've learned to be more flexible and my sanity is much better for it.

 

[UnicornDrpns]

I just train hard as often as I can and if I feel tired or simply not into it, I'll half ass the workout or skip the day entirely. I used to be really anal about never missing days , diet always being in point, always training hard. I would end up burning out, hating diets, hating the gym (which I normally love).

I've learned to embrace the bad days. Be more flexible with my diet and training. If I want to eat bad be it, I'll make the day an impromptu cheat day. Need to skip a day . Done.

I'm now leaner , stronger , diet and training is more on point than it ever has been ever since I relaxed and focused on enjoying the fitness/healthy life. Ironically for me, enjoying means to embrace the bad days, have cheats , and be ok with all of that because you deserve it.