When we’re tired, finding the energy to get through the day is hard. Getting up for work, cleaning your apartment, even sitting down to read takes more effort than it should. The simplest tasks feel like summiting Everest.
This bleeds into our workouts, assuming we actually make it to the starting line. We’re there, but not really. Just going through the motions. We don’t challenge ourselves. We get distracted. We leave early. There just isn’t enough energy available to perform at our best.
Or so we think.
Here are a few suggestions to make your next “tired” workout more productive.
Throw on a playlist
Nothing says it’s time to move like a little Red Hot Chili Peppers. Or Metallica. Or Armin Van Buuren. Or whoever you go to for that little shot of intensity. Music has the power to manipulate our mood at will. Use this to your advantage. The body won’t know what hit it.
Even if working out to music isn’t your thing, use it to establish your mindset. Blast it on the car ride to the gym. On the train home from work. On the bus after school. Use that bit of commuting time to mentally prepare for what’s to come.
Drink plenty of water
Yes, you might have to go to the bathroom once or twice during your workout session. A small price to pay. Drinking water consistently has been shown to increase athletic performance. Not only that, not drinking enough has been linked to drowsiness, lethargy and a myriad of other rather nasty side effects.
Again, use your commute. Before you leave the office or the school or the house, fill up that water bottle and make sure it’s empty by the time you reach your destination, whether it’s the gym or the trail or the studio.
Choose physical activities you actually enjoy
This may seem obvious, but I can’t tell you how many people I’ve worked with who define “working out” as weightlifting and cardio (running / biking / swimming etc.). As if those are the only ways to burn calories.
Do you enjoy volleyball? Hit the beach after work. Basketball? Head to the courts. Yoga? You get the idea. Of course weightlifting and cardio have their place, but if they’re not something you inherently enjoy they shouldn’t make up the majority of your workouts.
If you need extra motivation, find a local workout class and feed off the energy of others. I find myself doing this more and more as of late.
We always find a little more energy when we’re engaging with activities and people we actually like, regardless of how tired we are.
Workout with a buddy
Working out with a friend helps inspire motivation and increases accountability. When we train with one or more individuals, not only is there some built-in competition driving you to perform at your best, you also have more fun simply doing the workout. It’s fun to hang with friends, why wouldn’t you do so while positively impacting your overall health and fitness?
You’re also more likely not to skip your session if someone is depending on you to be there. No one wants to let their friends down. It definitely makes it easier to roll out of bed at 5:30 am for an early morning run, I speak from experience on this one.
Dial back the intensity
Sometimes a break is just what the doctor ordered. Our bodies and minds have a tendency to wear down over time if we regularly neglect proper rest and recovery. Every now and then we need to reset.
Don’t skip your workout completely, that’s counterproductive. Dial back the intensity instead. A five mile tempo run is now a three mile walk. Heavy squats and deadlifts are replaced by a bodyweight circuit. A 90 minute hot yoga class becomes 45 minutes of active stretching and light calisthenics.
I like to inject 1 rest and recovery week for every 8 weeks of training. By consistently allowing my body some time off I maintain better strength and endurance in the long run. Best of all, I stay injury free.
Physical training actually increases energy levels
Consider the last time you had a great workout. How did you feel upon completion? Probably a mixture of accomplished, energetic and de-stressed. What did you do afterwards? Maybe you called a friend or loved one and caught up. Perhaps you finally completed a mundane task that had been nagging at you for a while.
Working out injects renewed purpose into day. It makes us more productive. More engaged. More willing to dominate our to-do list.
As the blood moves and the heart pumps, the body responds. You’ll be alert, with the program and ready for action.
Be strong, be safe, be well.
Scott Mayer is a runner, thinker, curious observer and certified personal trainer. Learn more at scottjmayer.com.
Photograph courtesy of Unsplash