Whether it’s the ache that lets you know you are building muscle or the natural energy that keeps you motivated in the rest of your daily activities, the invigorating feeling you have postworkout is supposed to be gratifying. Sometimes when you exceed your current capabilities, your postworkout feeling suddenly has you unable to complete day-to-day tasks without wincing in pain.

Know when to push yourself and when you are pushing yourself too far during your workouts.

Building muscle takes time

Often times, when I’m away or unable to have a consistent workout routine, I backpedal in my capabilities until I get back into a routine again. I was recently away for a month without doing the weight training I was doing prior to leaving. When I came back, I tried to pick back up where I left off, which was a huge mistake. It’s OK to ease your way back into workouts after time away, illness, or injury. Trying to overdo exercising in one session did not benefit me in the long run and actually pushed me back further due to the pain I was in.

Rest days

Rest days are just as important as your workout. You don’t want to burn yourself out, so it’s important to take time each week to build your energy back up and let your body heal from the wear and tear of strenuous exercise.

Mental state

Are you working out to the point that it’s making you stressed? If you are overdoing a workout or trying too hard to squeeze workouts into an already busy day, you could be countering the benefits you usually get as a result of exercising. Everyone has their goals and intentions for exercising, but in the broadest sense, you should have the general intention to simply be well. If you are not happy and enjoying yourself, you can trigger stress hormones that will cause weight gain and lack of energy instead of feeling more relaxed and energized like you should. 

Messy time management

Allow yourself enough time to complete your workout. If you can’t make it to the gym one day, don’t beat yourself up. Try doing a short workout at home or walking around your neighborhood or on your lunch break at work. Find a workout routine that works with your schedule, not against it.  Working out shouldn’t feel like an added responsibility but a break from your daily tasks.

Do what works for you

Everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are different; what may be beneficial for one person may not be for another. For me, cardio is my weakness. Knowing the state of my overall health, I can confidently say that I probably won’t see much improvement in that area of exercise, so I focus on areas where I can improve. Weight training has been more effective for me because I do it in intervals rather than all in one shot like running. People tend to give up on working out because they aren’t doing workouts that they enjoy or fit their physical abilities. Adjust your workouts accordingly to what your body is capable of, and don’t do something that is knowingly going to cause injury or pain to your body.

Work out without burning out by keeping these tips in mind before you get moving!