by Tirzah Hawkins

Created on: June 01, 2010

It happens to everyone.  You wake up one day and can't stand the thought of putting on your workout clothes and hitting the gym.  Everything in your body is rebelling against the thought.  Normally you enjoy working out, occasionally you even love it.  So what is wrong with you?  You are experiencing exercise burnout.

 Exercise burnout is treatable and sometimes preventable; you need to know the warning signs.

 Some days you go to the gym and find yourself constantly watching the clock, wanting to know how long you have until you can stop.  Maybe you even put a towel over the clock to cover it so you can't see it. You are certain ten minutes have gone by, but when you take a peek, it's only been two. 

 Another sign is waking up in the morning or trying to decide the night before what activity you should do.  You tell yourself you should go for run or you have to lift weights.  Maybe you should do that exercise video you haven't done in a while, but nothing really sounds appealing.  Eventually you end up changing your mind or deciding not to do any exercise at all.  If no exercise sounds appealing, you are probably getting burned out. 

 Sometimes it's your workout gear.  The thought of putting on your running shoes and socks makes you want to go back to bed and pull the covers over your head.  Your normally amicable relationship with spandex has turned to hatred.  Hating your workout gear is a sure sign that you are on your way to exercise burnout.

 So what do you do?  Exercise is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle.  It's not as if you can just stop doing it, but maybe you do need to back off a little and give yourself a break.  Glory in your prior achievements, and take a little time to relax.  It might just be an afternoon, a day or week off that gets you back on track.

 Perhaps you need to add excitement to your routine.  Has it been six months or a year of doing the same routine over and over again.  Get in the habit of changing your workout routine every one to three months. 

 Variety is a very good tool to use to keep yourself engaged. Buy new workout music; try a new exercise class; buy a new fitness video; get new workout clothes. 

 Tweaking your diet can also make it easier to stick with a fitness routine.  If your diet is in line, you will have an easier time keeping your exercise

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