5 Things That Will Make You Bail On Your Workout
More than a third of people will cut a workout short if they forgot something. Others will quit early because they ate a waffle first and shouldn't have. It turns out, there are a whole host of reasons for not finishing strong at the gym.
I work out every day, and every day (at least for a minute or two) I wonder why I put myself through the torture. Some days it takes a superpower just to put the running shoes on, and I usually want to quit on mile number three on the treadmill. So much of a physical workout is mental! If I can get past the initial thoughts that say I'd be better off sitting on the couch eating Nutella with a spoon right out of the jar instead of huffing and puffing for an hour or more, I can usually get in a great workout. It's usually an adventure in pep talks, and motivation and momentum have to happen every day.
A survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Gatorade looked at the qualities people have to make it all the way through a workout, and some of the things that came up as workout killers may sound eerily familiar.
-- 3 in 10 people will skip a workout if they forgot something. The right shoes are essential, and forgetting those will be a workout stopper because it's impossible to run in flip flops. Workout bottoms, socks, and a hydration beverage are other common items that will send us home once we realize we've forgotten them.
-- 5 in 10 people will cut a workout short if they don't have the right music. Music takes our minds off of physical pain, and not having access to it makes it harder to deny that we're getting tired. Our radio station mobile app goes to the gym with ya. Just don't forget your phone.
-- Almost 6 in 10 say being too tired will make them want to bail on a workout. Sometimes intense physical activity leads to more energy and not less, but again, it takes motivation to get to the point of feeling like you've hit a stride. If you get there, high five yourself because most people bail along the way.
-- 5 in 10 saw a change in their workout performance if they ate or drank something different before or during exercise. If I make the mistake of eating dairy before a run, I feel full and my stomach burns most of the time and it's harder to concentrate on getting in a good workout. I'll overdose on peanut butter sometimes too, and that always makes me sluggish. At some point, I'll learn.
-- 5 in 10 will bail on a sweat session if they have too much to do. This is understandable. Most people don't have a wide-open schedule to work out as long as they want every day, and sometimes work deadlines, dentist appointments, and the need for groceries start calling and we gotta go.
Here's the point. If you ever feel like bailing on a workout, you're normal! It happens to all of us. The ones who have the most fitness success will battle the mental demons and win.
Some of the top workout songs to help get you through, according to the survey are:
"Dancing Queen” by ABBA
“Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber
“Roar” by Katy Perry
“Truth Hurts” by Lizzo
Kygo and Whitney Houston, "Higher Love," should totally be on that list too. And dozens of other songs that have a mid-to-fast tempo and an anthem vibe, and make us imagine ourselves winning an Olympic medal.
New shoes, the right pre-workout snack, and working out with a friend can help too. See you at the gym. Just don't forget the workout pants.