The key to transitioning exercise into a daily habit is consistency. A common misconception among "newbies" (and veterans) in the gym is that every workout has to be the best and the toughest ever. Now, I definitely don't want to down play hard work because I believe effort is the key to success, but the reality is that not every workout is going to be amazing. To be even more realistic, there are going to be a lot of times when you really won't want to workout! But that doesn't mean you should skip a day of exercise. Unless you are ill, have some sort of injury, or are suffering from over-training, the days that you feel like exercising the least may actually be the most significant.
The significance of working out when you truly prefer to skip it is important for a few reasons. The most important reason is that it allows your body to maintain its current frequency of activity. Skipping workouts can really affect us physically and mentally. I personally feel like it kicks me off my routine and rhythm. My body also never really feels any better and my next workout usually puts me in state of "catch up". The benefits of stimulating the metabolism frequently throughout the week are absolutely vital. Our BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) goes up, we burn more fat, we have more energy, and it's what our bodies were built for! The more you push your body (in a healthy way) the stronger and more responsive your body will become.
That being said, a back up workout doesn't have to be a marathon or an Olympic triathlon. It should be something that doesn't require a lot of thinking, yet still gets your heart rate up and your muscles burning. A couple of ideas are a workout video, your base run, a simple full-body lift routine, and some plyometric exercises that you can do anywhere.
Here are some examples:
P90X- It's No Joke...Seriously, It's Really Hard
The Time Has Finally Come- Your Park Workout!
Anybody else have Back Up workout ideas?
Whenever I REALLY don't feel like working out - had a long day at work, didn't get enough sleep the night before, etc... and all I want to do is vegetate - I vegetate at the gym instead! I get on the stationary bike, plug my headphones in, and watch the TV attached to the bike for an hour while peddling - probably not my toughest workout, but beats sitting on the couch!
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