Have you entered my Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway? If you haven’t you should go do it now!

I can’t stress enough how awesome their products are and the possibilities are endless for which products to choose! Check back later for my first recipe using one of the ingredients I tried out.

 

Okay. Yesterday was cold. I know everyone is probably tired of hearing everyone complain of the cold, but it seriously was cold. In fact my dog pretty much refused to stay outside for more than 5 minutes which made this whole “go to the bathroom” thing we do pretty hard to accomplish.

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This was after we left the gym last night. 

The temperature here felt like -35 degrees. Seriously, I don’t know how people live in this. It made me so thankful that we will be moving later this year!

 

I figured there was really only one thing you can do when it is that cold outside.

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Fix yourself a hot cup of decaf coffee and snuggle under a blanket with your husband for the rest of the night.

 

There was also another reason that I was snuggled up under a blanket and not moving. I had an awful workout day. We all have those days where we just don’t want to go workout. In fact I have those several times a week, but this was a day where I was looking forward to my workout, but my body just never got into it.

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I already had plans to break my workout up between running and biking.  The running part was fine. With my position anytime I get any kind of run I always look forward to it no matter how small.

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The hard part started when I went into the spin room. I could tell my legs were already tired before I went in but I was hoping they would kick in once I got started. Nope. 

I ended up doing a very long, very awful, very challenging 70 minutes on the spin bike before calling it a day.

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This was the most mentally challenging workout I have had in months. I don’t know what happened.  There were probably several factors that played into it, but I knew what to do to get through it so I sucked it up.

I put together a few tips for you for the next time you face one of these days.

 

How to Get Through A Mentally Tough Workout

 

How to Get Through a Mentally Tough Workout

1. Try to get Through the First 10 Minutes

If you aren’t into it at the very beginning, give it another 5-10 minutes before you completely give up and cough it up to a terrible workout day. Sometimes you will be surprised how your body will adapt once it gets into it.

 

2. Start with a Warm Up

Start the workout with a warm up. When I run I try to start with a 1-5 minute walk to get my legs into it. On the spin bike my warm up can be anywhere from 10-15 minutes depending on how tough of a spinning session I have planned. This allows your body to get warm, moving, and helps to get your mind ready to workout.

 

3. Find Something Else to Focus Your Mind On

If I am not getting into a workout sometimes I will turn on the TV (if I am in the gym), turn my music up, or just simply try to find something else to focus my mind on. So many times our mind gives out before the rest of our body so it is important to play “tricks” on your brain and focus on something else.

 

4. Know When to Quit

This is an important but tricky step. There are workouts that I never get into and I just quit. I take it as a sign that my body needs to rest and that I shouldn’t continue with the workout. This is a very important step to help avoid injury. The thing is you also have to know when your mind is just fighting you. Yesterday I knew my body was well rested because I had come off a rest day. I knew that most of the tiredness was coming form waiting until later in the day to do my workout. You have to recognize the signs in your body, and if you can tell your body just needs to rest – let it!

 

5. Change It Up

If you already have a planned workout (like I do 95% of the time) allow yourself room to change it. If your body can’t handle a hard workout, ease it down some and just take it easy.  There is nothing wrong with switching up your plan. I have had to learn this the hard way. You can always do it another day.

 

We all have tough days, and it is important to work through them. No matter what you will be proud at the end. Some days we just have to work for it a little harder.

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You can turn your tough day into a great day, but sometimes it just takes a little extra work.

 

What are your tips to getting through a tough workout?

How do you know the difference between when your body is telling you to take a rest day or your mind is just not where it needs to be?

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