Don’t Fall Victim to the “This Week is Shot” Mentality (Workout This Weekend!)

I’ve been hearing it and reading it all week. Life got in the way and people skipped workouts. One day lead to another, and the next thing they knew, well…it’s Friday. Shoulder’s hung in shame and disgust, they all say the same thing: “Well, this week is shot.”

And every time, I cringe.

Yes, Monday would have been the ideal time to jump into your workout program headfirst. However, it has come and gone–and there’s nothing you can do about it.

However, that doesn’t mean all is lost. Guess what? Friday is as good a day as any other to start getting fit. Do you really think your body cares what day the calendar says it is? In fact, a weekend workout might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Arguments Against Weekend Workouts (and Why They Aren’t Good Arguments)

Most people cringe at the thought of working out over the weekend. However, I find many of these reasons invalid. Let’s have a look at common excuses and rebuttals:

• I’m tired at the end of the work week. You’re just as tired on Monday, trust me. The fact is that exercise will give you energy. So by throwing in a workout after work on Friday or first thing Saturday morning, you can get a great start to your weekend.
• My weekends are too busy to workout. But your weekdays aren’t? No matter what you do on your weekend, it surely can’t compete with your weekday 9-5. Bottom line here is you have to make time for fitness.
• I need to de-stress over the weekend, not obsess about my fitness issues. No need to obsess. Mixing in a bit of exercise is going to have the opposite affect. It’s going to relax your body and clear your mind. And if you’re having that much difficulty with stress, then maybe a yoga workout is right for you.
• I’m going to eat worse over the weekend, so I should wait to workout. First of all, there are ways to cut out some of the bad calories over the weekend. Have fun dinners planned? Choose the healthiest option available. You can still indulge, but cut down the portion sizes. Planning on drinking? Opt for a lower calorie dry red wine, a light beer like Michelob Ultra, or a clear liquor (vodka tonics are super low calorie and pack a big punch). Regardless, if you’re going to be adding extra calories, well, that’s all the more reason you should workout over the weekend. Why let them sit and fester?
• It just makes more sense to start on a Monday. Does it? Maybe not. For many of us, Monday is the most dreadful, stressful day of the week. We have a million things to do, and often feel unprepared. Not to mention tired from the weekend. Why would it make the most sense to add the pressure of beginning a workout routine on that day, piling onto everything else?

Working out over the weekend probably makes more sense for most of us than the 5 day during the workweek plan we often shoot for. By working out Friday, Saturday, Sunday, when we have more free time, we free up two rest days to be taken during the week when we are overloaded with work.

It’s called time management.

What do you think? Is your week shot? Or are you going to use the weekend to kick things into gear? Don’t be a defeatist!

 

Photo courtesy of anankkml / freedigitalphotos.net