6 Times You Should Actually Skip the Gym

 

Hey, there! Let me ask you a question: why do you work out? I guess your answer is to feel better, to get stronger, to have more energy, and to take care of the body God has given us, right? And part of taking care of that body is understanding when it needs movement and when it needs rest.

So today, I want to share six times when you should actually give yourself permission to skip the gym. And if you’re someone who struggles with feeling guilty for missing a workout, I especially want you to hear this.

If you still find it hard to take a day off without feeling guilty, I think you’ll love Episode 413: The Importance of a Rest Day

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

Transcript

(0:00) Hey, hey beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, (0:06) but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Reel with me, Julie Ledbetter.

(0:13) I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. (0:19) Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Reel. Let's get it, let's go.

(0:32) Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Reel podcast. (0:36) So many of us have convinced ourselves that the more consistent we are with our workouts, the better results that we're going to see. (0:42) Like we tell ourselves we need to show up no matter what.

We need to push through the exhaustion, never miss a Monday, (0:47) and absolutely never skip a workout. And while I am a huge advocate for consistency, (0:52) sometimes the healthiest thing that you can do for your body is skip the workout. Yeah, you heard me right.

(0:56) There is a difference between being disciplined with your workouts and ignoring what your body is trying to tell you. (1:02) Like we work out to feel better, get stronger, have more energy, and really just take care of the body that God has given us. (1:08) And part of taking care of that body is understanding when it needs movement and when it needs rest.

(1:13) And so today I want to share six times you should actually give yourself permission to skip the workout. (1:18) And if you're someone who struggles with feeling guilty for missing a workout, (1:21) I especially want you to hear this. Before I get into it though, (1:24) I want to share this review.

She gave a five-star review and said, the number one inspiring podcast. (1:29) I'm so thankful I came across this podcast. (1:31) The podcast has brought so much inspiration to my everyday life and has allowed me to love myself and my body.

(1:37) Thank you, Julie. Also, your workout clips on Pinterest are amazing. Thank you.

(1:40) Oh, I'm getting back into my Pinterest game, you guys, and I'm so excited. (1:45) I'm so excited. I love you guys on Pinterest.

You guys are the GOAT, honestly. (1:49) You guys are so, so good. Just the community on Pinterest over there.

You guys are ride or die people, (1:54) and I love you over there. (1:56) So if you are not following my Pinterest, I have two actually Pinterest accounts. (2:00) I have a movement with Julie and I have a Julie A. Ledbetter.

(2:02) So if you are a Pinterest gal head over there, I am starting to post my workouts over there as well. (2:09) All right, let's get into the six times that you should actually skip your workout. (2:12) Number one, when you are sick and your body needs time to recover.

(2:15) I think we've all been there. You wake up feeling absolutely terrible. (2:18) Like you just got hit by a bus.

Then you start negotiating with yourself. (2:21) Like maybe if I just do something light, I'll feel better once I get moving. (2:25) But you're sick.

Your body is already working hard to fight off whatever is going on (2:29) and adding more physical stress isn't always what it needs. (2:32) Now, I'm talking about when you're genuinely sick. (2:34) Like especially if you're dealing with a fever, body aches, significant fatigue, (2:38) chest symptoms, coughing, pushing through an intense workout could actually delay your (2:42) recovery and news flash.

Missing a few workouts because you're sick, (2:46) it's not going to undo the progress that you've made. (2:48) If you're dealing with like a minor sniffle or otherwise feel fine, (2:52) some gentle movement might be okay, but you just need to be mindful about spreading (2:55) illness to other people if you are going to the gym. (2:58) This is also why I love my dumb only workouts at home, you guys, (3:01) because you never have to worry about that.

(3:02) But give yourself permission to recover so you can get back to your routine (3:06) when you're feeling healthy again. (3:08) Number two, when you are running on almost no sleep. (3:10) Let's say you had a terrible night of sleep.

(3:12) Maybe your kid was up or you were just not able to fall asleep. (3:16) You're dealing with something stressful or you've just tossed and turned (3:19) for hours and hours and hours. (3:21) And then your alarm is going off in the morning and you're like, (3:23) oh my gosh, what do I do? (3:25) I want you to remember that sleep is a huge part of building muscle, (3:28) recovering from your workouts and regulating your appetite (3:31) and actually just having the energy to show up for your life.

(3:33) If you're constantly sacrificing sleep just to squeeze in another workout, (3:37) I want you to reconsider your priorities. (3:39) Now, I'm not saying that one night of less than perfect sleep (3:43) means that you can't work out. (3:44) But if you're functioning on like three or four or even five hours (3:48) every single night, you're just completely exhausted (3:50) and you're struggling to get through the day, (3:52) it might be more beneficial to give yourself the extra hour or two of rest.

(3:57) Like your workout will still be there tomorrow. (3:58) And remember, you don't get extra credit for making yourself miserable (4:02) in the name of fitness. (4:03) Number three, when you're experiencing pain (4:05) that goes beyond normal muscle soreness.

(4:07) Now, there's a difference between feeling sore after a challenging workout (4:11) and then experiencing pain that could be a sign of injury. (4:14) I think we get so focused on pushing ourselves (4:16) that we start treating every ache and pain (4:18) as something we just need to work through. (4:20) But your body has limits and those limits deserve to be respected.

(4:24) If you're experiencing like sharp pain, joint pain, swelling, (4:28) a pain that just changes the way that you move, (4:30) please, please, please do not ignore it. (4:32) Just because your workout schedule says that it's leg day or it's arm day (4:36) or it's cardio and core, whatever it is, (4:38) take a break from the movement that is causing the pain. (4:40) Maybe get it checked out by a qualified healthcare professional if needed.

(4:44) But pushing through an injury could end up (4:47) keeping you away from your workouts much longer (4:50) than taking a few days off just to address it. (4:52) You have your entire life to keep getting stronger. (4:54) Sometimes protecting your progress means knowing when to stop.

(4:59) Number four, when your body hasn't recovered (5:01) from your previous workouts. (5:03) If you've ever finished like a really challenging workout (5:05) only to wake up the next day feeling like (5:07) your body just literally got hit by a semi-truck. (5:10) Your legs are exhausted.

(5:12) Your muscles are sore. (5:12) Even walking up the stairs feels like another workout. (5:16) But instead of giving yourself time to recover, (5:18) you feel like you have to get back to your workouts.

(5:20) Your muscles just remember that they need time (5:22) to repair and adapt after strength training. (5:24) And that recovery process is an important part (5:27) of how we actually build strength. (5:29) If you're still extremely sore, your performance is declining, (5:32) your body feels completely drained, (5:34) that might be a sign that you do need to adjust your training.

(5:37) Sometimes that means training a different muscle group. (5:40) Sometimes it means choosing a gentle walk (5:41) or doing some mobility. (5:43) Sometimes it just means taking a full rest day.

(5:45) You do not need to be sore, exhausted, (5:47) and struggling through every workout (5:49) just to prove that you're making progress. (5:51) The goal again is to challenge your body (5:53) in a way that it can actually recover from. (5:55) This is why I program lower body next to upper body, (5:59) next to cardio and core, next to shoulders and glutes, (6:01) next to full body.

(6:03) Because if you're following that schedule (6:04) on a five-day schedule, which you don't have to do all five, (6:07) but if you're following that five-day schedule, (6:09) you should be able to give yourself enough time to recover. (6:12) For example, lower body and shoulders and glutes. (6:15) So lower body, if you're doing it on a Monday, (6:17) your next lower body movements (6:19) that are gonna be heavy compound movements (6:21) is gonna be on Thursday.

(6:23) I would say the only day that sometimes people (6:25) have issues with is shoulders and glutes and full body. (6:29) They can sometimes overlap certain muscle groups, (6:32) but for the most part, I try to be very cognizant of that (6:36) when I'm training those (6:37) or when I'm programming those two days (6:39) to make sure that you can do them back-to-back (6:41) without feeling extremely sore. (6:43) But sometimes people do take like, for example, Friday off (6:45) and they move the full body to Saturday (6:48) and then they take a full rest day on Sunday.

(6:50) So totally up to you the way that you do it, (6:52) but that is important to give yourself enough time (6:56) to actually recover. (6:57) Number five, when you're only going (6:59) because you feel guilty. (7:00) All right, this one is a big one (7:01) because maybe you had a weekend (7:03) where you ate a little differently than you normally do.

(7:05) Maybe you went out to dinner, enjoyed some dessert (7:07) and now you feel like you have to go get your workout in (7:10) and make up for it. (7:11) Or maybe you missed your workout yesterday (7:12) and now you're just feeling guilty (7:13) because you told yourself you wouldn't miss a day. (7:16) Can I just give you some real talk? (7:17) Like exercise should never be a punishment (7:19) for what you ate or how your body looks (7:22) or how you're thinking in your mind.

(7:24) I want you to start looking at movement (7:26) as an opportunity to honor your body (7:28) and celebrate everything that it's capable of doing. (7:31) Of course, there's gonna be days (7:32) where you don't feel motivated (7:33) and just following through with your workout (7:36) is exactly what you need. (7:37) But I want you to get honest with yourself (7:39) about why you're showing up.

(7:40) Are you going because movement helps (7:43) and you know that it's gonna help you feel good (7:45) and build strength and take care of yourself (7:48) or are you going because you're afraid (7:49) of what will happen if you don't? (7:51) If your workout routine is being driven by fear and guilt, (7:54) it's time to reevaluate your relationship with exercise. (7:57) You deserve to enjoy movement without feeling (7:59) like your worth is dependent (8:01) on how many workouts you complete. (8:02) And last but not least, number six, (8:04) when going to your workout means missing out (8:06) on whatever matters most.

(8:08) I saved this one for last because I think it's something (8:10) that we can so easily lose sight of. (8:12) Like when we get caught up in our routines, (8:14) our goals, our desire to stay consistent (8:16) and before we know it, our workouts (8:17) can really start dictating every decision that we make. (8:20) Like we skip family gatherings (8:21) because we don't wanna miss our workout.

(8:23) We turn down opportunities to spend time (8:25) with people we love because we're worried (8:26) about messing up our schedule. (8:27) I just wanna remind you that you are here (8:30) for so much more than completing workouts (8:31) and your fitness goals. (8:33) Of course, taking care of your physical health is important (8:35) and you should absolutely prioritize movement (8:38) and strength training, (8:39) but your health should help you live your life.

(8:42) And sometimes that means being flexible with your routine. (8:45) Sometimes that means choosing a morning (8:46) where you're making memory with your kids (8:49) or friends over your usual workout. (8:51) And at the end of your life, (8:52) you're probably not gonna look back (8:54) and wish that you completed three more workouts (8:55) during that family vacation.

(8:57) You're going to remember the moments (8:59) that you shared, the moments that you made, (9:00) the memories that you had, (9:02) and the people that you spent time with. (9:04) So please, please, please don't let your fitness goals (9:07) become so important that they prevent you (9:09) from enjoying the very life that you're working (9:11) so hard to be healthy for. (9:13) I wanna go back through these six situations (9:15) where skipping your workout (9:16) might actually be the best decision you can make.

(9:19) Number one, when you're sick, (9:20) remember that your body needs that energy to recover. (9:23) Number two, when you're running on almost no sleep, (9:26) sometimes an extra hour of sleep (9:28) is going to benefit your body (9:29) more than another training session. (9:31) Number three, when you're experiencing pain (9:33) beyond normal muscle soreness, (9:35) listen to those warning signs (9:36) and remember that protecting your long-term health (9:38) should always come first.

(9:40) Number four, when your body has not recovered (9:42) from previous workouts, (9:44) remember your muscles need time to repair and rebuild (9:46) so that they can actually get stronger. (9:49) Number five, when you're only working out (9:51) because you feel guilty, (9:52) remember movement should be something (9:54) that you do to honor your body, (9:56) not a punishment for maybe what you've eaten (9:59) or for taking time off. (10:00) And last but not least, number six, (10:02) when going to your workout means missing out (10:05) on whatever matters most, (10:06) just remember that your fitness routine (10:08) should support the life that you want to live.

(10:11) And if you're thinking, okay, Julie, (10:13) I understand that rest is important, (10:14) but I still really struggle (10:16) with knowing kind of how to balance my workouts (10:18) and my recovery, (10:19) that's exactly why I wanna encourage you (10:21) to check out my MooMoo and Julie weekly workouts. (10:24) You're gonna have a structured strength training plan (10:26) that takes the guesswork out of organizing (10:28) your workouts and your recovery. (10:30) I will leave the information for that (10:32) in the show notes below, (10:33) but I also just wanna leave you with one final reminder, (10:36) consistency matters, (10:37) discipline matters, (10:38) and showing up for yourself matters, (10:40) but also taking care of yourself (10:42) means knowing when to rest.

(10:44) So the next time that you're kind of debating (10:46) whether or not you should skip your workout, (10:48) I want you to ask yourself one simple question. (10:50) What does taking care of my body (10:52) actually look like today? (10:54) Some days the answer is getting up, (10:56) putting your workout clothes on (10:57) and showing up when you don't feel like it. (10:59) Other days the answer is getting more sleep, (11:01) allowing your body to recover (11:02) or just being fully present for the people that you love.

(11:06) So honor your body with movement, (11:07) honor your body with rest (11:08) and remember that you are so much more (11:10) than your workout routine. (11:12) If you find it hard to take a day off (11:13) without feeling guilty, (11:14) I know that you'll love episode 413, (11:17) the importance of a rest day, (11:18) I will link that for you in the show notes below. (11:21) And if you know someone who maybe feels guilty (11:23) every time they miss a workout, (11:25) I would love for you to share this episode with them.

(11:27) I love you so much, I mean it (11:29) and I'll talk to you in the next one. (11:39) All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. (11:43) But I have two things that I need you to do.

(11:46) First thing, if you are not already following me (11:48) on the gram, be sure to do so Julie A. Ledbetter. (11:51) Yes, it's with an A in the middle. (11:53) For that daily post-workout real talk, (11:56) healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability (11:58) to keep your mind and heart in check.

(12:00) The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts (12:04) to never miss an episode. (12:06) Thank you so much for joining me. (12:08) It means the absolute world (12:10) and I'm going to leave you with one last thought.

(12:12) The most beautiful women that I have met in my life (12:15) are the ones who are completely confident (12:17) and secure in being authentically themselves. (12:22) Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. (12:25) So go out there and embrace a real (12:27) because you're worth it.

 
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