no energy

[Cat]

I got a job 4 months ago that requires my sitting all day, so I decided to try to do SOMETHING every night, as long as I moved. I was doing fine until a month ago when I got a cold and took 3 days off. I started back in slowly, but since then I have NO ENERGY. I have to force myself to work out and when I do, I know I'm not doing my best.

Anyone have any ideas about how I can get my energy back? I figured since I sit all day, I'd be anxious to move, but that's not the case anymore!

If this has happened to anyone, please let me know how you got your energy back! Thanks!

 

[JudySP]

Maybe every night was the problem

Hi Cat,
I'm certainly no expert but maybe the problem was that you were overtraining by doing something every night. Aside from lowering your resistance, overtraining can sap you of motivation too. Just a thought. Maybe your lack of motivation was just a well deserved break. Experts recommend at least one "day off" a week.

So what to do now? What was your favorite kind of activity? Have you tried that? Maybe something totally new would spark your interest.

I haven't been in a "slump" like that but I know others have - maybe they have some additional suggestions. In the meantime, try not to be too hard on yourself.

Judy

 

[Daphne M]

Could it be your workouts?

In addition to what Judy said about needing to take a couple of nights off every week, maybe it's the workouts themselves that aren't motivating you?

You said that you started back easy, which is smart, but sometimes easy workouts are kind of boring if you're used to more complex or tougher stuff.

You might try doing your harder, favorite videos at a much easier level. Could you place your step at the 4" level and be sure you keep your moves low-intensity?

You might also try the old "just 20 minutes" trick. You know, where you tell yourself that you're only going to do 20 minutes of a video? Sometimes you do more, sometimes you just do the 20. Either way, you come out better than just doing nothing.

And don't rule out the seasonal factor. If you're like me, it's dark and cold when you get home from work. And when you're cold, your energy just ebbs and suddenly you have this natural inclination to want to just curl up with a blanket and a kingsize Hershey With Almonds bar. Um, I meant to say a Power Bar and some baby carrots. So make sure that you dress really warmly inside your house or apartment and that'll keep you from sinking into that nice warm couch.

The best cure of all is a dog. They don't care what the weather is, they need someone to walk them. And once you get moving with them, you don't want to stop. Maybe you could borrow a friend's dog?

I'm out of ideas, but we all go through these phases and they always pass. Hang in there and let us know how it's going.

 

[bkloots]

More ideas

I have one of those sit-all-day jobs, too, and I congratulate you on your effort to counteract the spreading effect on the derriere!If you can possibly do it, morning workouts might be a better idea than evening. You're fresh, and you get an energizing start to the day. Then you can cocoon when you get home at night without guilt.And are you getting enough variety in your workouts? Aerobic or cardio days mixed with strength or toning days, and maybe a stretch/yoga day? And give yourself one or two rest days. If you haven't been there yet, do check out videofitness.com and the VF Forum for lots of ideas and encouragement.