Signs your fitness and wellness routine isn’t working for you …
This post is inspired by conversations I’ve had recently with my some of my group fitness class members. Not only do I love that these folks come to me for advice, but I also love that they know to ask these types of questions. Why? Because it’s important to periodically assess how your routine is serving you and make adjustments as needed.
If you’ve found yourself wondering about your current fitness and wellness routine as well, then this one is for you …
Let’s get to it …
1. You have low energy during all of your workouts. And you feel tired much of the day in your regular life.
If you’re constantly tired or you constantly have low energy, then you need to make some adjustments to your fitness and wellness routine and take a good hard look at everything you’re doing.
While being tired after a long day of work is normal, struggling to keep your eyes open during the middle of the day is not normal. And while feeling exhausted by the end of your workout is normal, not having enough energy to get moving regularly is not in the normal range either.
Oftentimes, if you have a really hard time getting your workouts started and you’re sore, tired and stiff, it could be that you’re not getting enough recovery time between your workouts. It could also be that you’re going too hard too often and doing multiple days in a row of tough full-body workouts without variety or rest. Varying your workout intensities and having light or off days is essential to rest, recover and improve, so make sure you’re including those in your weekly routine.
A few other things that could be causing you low energy in your workouts and life? Are you neglecting quality sleep, skimping on calories and under-eating protein or missing proper hydration habits? All of those things can cause low energy and that draggy feeling. And perhaps there’s more than one of them you need to fix.
Finally, there’s also the hormone piece. While I won’t get into specifics with this one, I always encourage women who are truly struggling with their energy levels to seek the help of a doctor and get some bloodwork done. And if you find out that you’re lacking in some department, make sure you investigate possible wholistic methods and lifestyle swaps you can make before jumping to long-term medicine. I used to devote a lot of air time on the blog to talking about hormone health (back when I was trying to improve my own in order to get pregnant), and while it’s not an issue for me any longer, I still know how important it is.
Moral of the story on this one? If you’re constantly tired and you have no energy, something in your fitness and wellness routine needs to change. Check your daily workout intensities, check your nightly sleep, check your overall calorie/protein consumption and check your hydration levels to see where you can make some tweaks.
2. You are bored with your workouts and you dread doing them.
Life is too short to do workouts you don’t enjoy. And I say this phrase over and over again on the blog, on social media and in my classes, and I know that a lot of fitness professionals don’t agree with me. I’m not saying you will smile throughout every minute you exercise, but I’m saying that there need to be some days, some movements or some elements of your fitness routine that bring you a little bit of joy.
For instance, if you make yourself run three miles outside every single morning and you despise it, I would highly suggest you switch it up and add in something else you’re more inclined to enjoy, like trail walking, biking or taking a yoga class (and some weights). And if you’re forcing yourself to go to a circuit-training studio every single day and you literally hate it, then I’d say switch it up and find something else.
Just because you’re currently doing a certain workout routine, doesn’t mean you need to do it forever. And unless you’re training for an event or you’re a competitive athlete, you always have the freedom to mix up your workouts, because you’re an adult and you have choices. Keep trying new things and add in some new elements so that you have at least a couple sweat sessions a week that you either (A) look forward to or (B) find partially enjoyable.
But let me also say this: Sometimes you do have to talk yourself into exercise. And sometimes you do have to put in hard work. That’s normal. But not every workout should be one that you absolutely hate doing and you dread, because ultimately, that’s not working for you in the long term.
3. You are not getting any results in any area of your fitness and wellness.
Results do not mean weight loss. I repeat: Results do not mean weight loss.
In fact, there are so many ways to measure whether your fitness and wellness routine is working that have nothing to do with your weight at all.
Here are things you can assess:
- Your sleep
- Your energy
- Your posture
- Your endurance
- Your strength
- Your cardiovascular fitness
- Your complexion
- Your immunity
- Your confidence
- Your regularity (you know what I mean)
If you feel like some of these areas are really improving for you, that’s a good sign you’re doing things right. But if you feel like everything stays exactly the same or even gets worse, then you need to adjust your methods.
I made some changes to my personal fitness and wellness routine over the last two years and have had decent results. I upped my protein, added in creatine and added in one solo heavy lifting session a week, and I feel really strong. Perhaps as strong as I’ve ever been, and I love that feeling. Have I lost weight? Absolutely not, and if I used the scale as a measure, it’s likely gone up. But when I see how I perform in my classes and solo workouts, I see progress, so I know something I’m doing is right, and I want you to feel that too.
You won’t always be hitting PRs (personal records, that is), but you should be seeing positive results from your fitness and wellness routine, bit by bit, as time goes on in other parts of your life. When you stop seeing results, or if you notice a decline in any area, it’s time to adjust your food, your sleep, your workouts and your overall approach.
(In these pictures, I’m using my favorite home workout equipment from Les Mills. You can get 10 percent off any of the brand’s gear with my code ASHLEY10. You can also find similar leggings here and my top here.)
4. You feel like a slave to your fitness and wellness habits, and you don’t allow yourself room for life outside of your routine.
I know what you’re thinking: “Ashley, what are you talking about?”
As someone who’s seen it all with health and fitness, I can tell when a person has an unhealthy obsession with their routine. And even though discipline is great, there is a fine line between being dialed in with your habits and being so strict you’re borderline disordered.
My point is this: If you’re so caught up with your fitness and wellness routine that you can’t ever accept an invitation to go out to eat, you can’t ever skip a workout and you won’t go on a vacation because you won’t have access to your blender for smoothies, then perhaps you need to make some changes?
If you have loved ones in your life who question your strictness, that may be a sign there’s something to work on as well. Could you benefit from talking to a therapist or health coach who can serve as a third-party for you to discuss why you’re so strict? Can you figure out ways to loosen up a little without going off the rails? Can you think of even one thing you can do to bring a little more light-hearted fun to your life?
I think the big thing here is this: If your fitness and wellness routine is so all-consuming that you can’t enjoy your life, then it is NOT working for you. Life is not about having the perfect body, the perfect workouts and the perfect diet. Life is about living. And while most fitness folks will tell you there’s nothing better than showing off your low body-fat, I will tell you that a healthy and happy life can happen at any BMI.
I’m living proof of that! I’ve had years when my abs have nearly popped through my shirts, and now I’ve had years where I have to flex to sort’ve see them. Either way, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you feel good in your skin, and much of that happens from the inside out.
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Thanks for reading this post about signs your fitness and wellness routine isn’t working, friend. I hope you feel empowered to take a look at what you’re doing and make adjustments as needed. Be well! xoxo
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Questions of the day
What’s one thing in your fitness or wellness routine that you know you need to change?
What’s one thing in your fitness or wellness routine that you know you’re doing right?