What to Do If You Miss a Day of Training (Besides Feeling Guilty)
Sometimes you need a day off. Sometimes you don’t need a day off, but you take it anyway. If you have any anxiety about what exercise means to you, it may develop into worry or guilt: Am I a slacker? Do I lose all my progress? And if rest days are so important, why do I feel guilty every time I take them?
You probably know the answers to these questions, which boil down to this: a day off does not define who you are. But feeling guilty about taking a rest day is quite common, and I’ve felt it myself. So here’s an uplifting conversation to help you understand these conflicting feelings, as well as some options for what to do if you’re feeling this way. Tell yourself the following things:
Know that one day doesn’t matter
Being strong, fit, or getting in shape is a goal for years, if not a lifetime. Will you remember this day five years from now with regret? You probably won’t even remember it happened.
Tomorrow is a new day, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’ve ruined your entire week or your entire training program. Either skip this day or make up for it tomorrow, whichever makes it easier for you to move forward.
Rest is good
A well-designed program usually includes at least one day off per week; in some programs there may even be three or four. These are all completely effective ways to train. So if you took three days off instead of two this week, it doesn’t mean all your hard work was in vain.
Either way, your body will put this rest to good use. Some people will say that a certain number of rest days per week is necessary; I don’t know if this is actually true if you deal with fatigue well. But whether or not you need a day off, your body can still use it for extra recovery. You will feel fresher the day you return.
You might feel better if you do something
A rest day does not have to be 100% sedentary. Taking too long a rest can have unpleasant consequences. Let’s say you need a break from running – cool, great, you’ve taken care of yourself. But then you might be missing out on the mental health benefits of exercise, and now you’re sitting there getting angry. To reap these benefits, go for a walk or do another low-key activity you enjoy, such as yoga or stretching.
You feel guilty because you care
It’s worth taking a minute to understand this feeling of guilt. We often feel guilty about taking a day off because we have a plan in our head (say, we imagine ourselves working out every day) and find ourselves falling short. Having a plan and being able to compare your actions to the plan is good! Maybe we just need to recalibrate a little.
So when you feel guilty, think about your plan. Perhaps your plan can include a few extra days of rest, which means you’re not deviating from your goal at all. Or maybe your plan is unrealistic and you’re setting the wrong expectations for yourself. Check to see if your benchmarks (or SMART goals) actually align with your overall dream goals .
Focus on consistency
A lot of the reason one day doesn’t matter is because in the long run, consistency is key . If you do all your workouts for weeks on end and this week you have to skip one, you are still the person who usually does all of your workouts.
You may be afraid that this one day off will lead you down a slippery slope and you’ll end up having to take more days off. Well, it’s within your power! Decide how and when you will get back on that horse. Plan your schedule for tomorrow or next week and make sure you can make it to the next class.
I’ll solve the problem next time
Why did you even take this day of rest? If you’re feeling tired, you may need a more balanced exercise program that won’t leave you feeling that way. Or, if you’re dreading a certain workout, it might be a sign that you need to change something—either your workout or your mindset. For example, if you always skip box jump workouts, there are ways to overcome this fear .
Just a matter of time management? Try some of these tips to exercise regularly, even if you already have a busy schedule.
Think through your overall plan
Or maybe you feel guilty because you’ve missed a lot of days. This is a sign that you may be on an unsustainable path. Are you so stressed out at work that you have no motivation to exercise? You may need to take more than a day off from exercising to see if that relieves the extra pressure. Or maybe you need to lift before work rather than after to see if it lifts your spirits enough to get you through a stressful day. Or maybe you just need to solve a bigger problem in your life. (Talk to your boss about your workload? Start looking for a new job ?)
Bottom line: If you’re feeling guilty about missing a day because to you it’s symbolic of other things going on in your life, zoom out and see what you can do to fix those other things.