Just like you sometimes feel more tired after a lazy Sunday at home spent watching TV, you feel so much better after heading to the studio for an awesome workout. There is a link between how you feel on the days that you choose to train and how your workout goes.It can be tough to know when it’s best to push yourself and when it’s time to take a rest day, but figuring out how your mood and mind impact your training is a crucial part of the process.

The Mind/Body Connection

Many experts refer to something called “the mind/body connection.” According to Familydoctor.org, stressful times (which can be anything that happens in your personal or professional life) can affect your health. As the website explains, your behavior, thoughts, and emotions are all connected, and you will feel physical reactions based on those things.It’s good to remember that your brain and body are linked to one another and that there are times when your bad mood or stressful day could lead you to feel even more exhausted after working out. But there are also times when breaking a sweat would actually put you in a better mood.

Getting To The Studio On The Bad Days

So how do you know when it’s a better idea to go to the studio than to stay home?While it’s always tempting to skip a workout when something is going on in your personal life, for the most part, getting that workout in is going to change your whole day.Here are a few reasons why working out will help when you’re not feeling so great:

• You’ll get to take a break, which is so valuable, and it might be your only free hour that day, so take advantage of it.
• You’ll get a chance to think through what’s on your mind since exercise can help you kind of zone out and have a meditative moment.
• You’ll remember that you love training.
• You’ll always leave in a better mood than when you started.
• You’ll have a moment of pride afterward.

Shake Off Your Bad Mood

So how do you get into the studio on bad days? You have to shake off your bad mood.There are a few ways to do this. First of all, you can remember why you love training and what positive benefits there are from getting into the studio several times every week. You can remind yourself that you always feel a self-esteem boost during your training session and once you’re done.Second of all, you can find some little ways to get yourself into gear and headed to the studio. Maybe you can listen to an uplifting, positive, and inspiring podcast on your way, whether you walk or drive.Thirdly, you can take a moment of mindfulness to remember your goals. This will help you reach them since they will be top of mind. You can take a few minutes every time you’re about to leave for the studio, and this will be great motivation. The more that you do this, the more it’ll be part of your routine. You’ll realize that even though you might be a little sleepy today, you want to put these goals into action.You might want to try what experts call “habit pairing.” You use one habit as the “trigger” to start another habit. In other words, you can put two things that you do together. If you only listen to podcasts on the way to and from the studio, you’ll associate those with each other, and it’ll make you want to work out more.This is perfect for helping you shake off a bad mood since you’ll boost your happiness with the two habits that you’re pairing: listening to a fun podcast (or music or something else of your choosing) and working out.

Use Your Bad Mood as Fuel

You can also get into the studio when you’re not in having the greatest day by using your bad mood as fuel for training. Tell yourself that you’re going to make this the best workout, and set some goals. Maybe you want to reach a personal record, try a harder variation, or go into the training session with more confidence than usual.While you’re always going to feel great after working out, you’re going to see more of a difference in mood when you go into a session, not feeling your best. When you get into the studio on days when you would rather stay home, you’re going to motivate and inspire yourself even more. You’ll know that you can do anything and that you’re truly unstoppable.

All About Endorphins

You might remember the famous scene from the comedy Legally Blonde when Elle Woods says that “exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make people happy.” This is absolutely true and a big reason why many people are committed to their training routines.Sometimes all you can do is remember that you’re going to get a mood boost from your time at the studio. This can be what pushes you to go on days when you just don’t feel like it. And the next time that happens, you’ll remember how much better you felt.When you think about how exercise makes you feel, you’ll be able to keep up with a consistent training schedule.

Taking A Break

Rest days are important, and taking a break from training is a form of self-care that will only help you in the long run.There are some ways to figure out when you need to take a break from training:

• You really don’t want to when it’s usually the highlight of your day.
• You’ve been working out several days in a row and are more sore and tired than usual.
• You feel you would benefit more from a self-care activity (going for a nice walk, hanging out with a friend, reading a book).
• You know that this is the best thing for your mental and emotional health.

Active Rest

Since you know that your mind and mood can impact your training, what should you do on those days off from hitting the studio?If you can focus on active rest on your days off from training, you’ll come back stronger.Here are some things that you can do:

Take A Rest and Regeneration Session

Take one of our Rest and Regeneration sessions here at Gloveworx! The focus of these sessions is on flexibility, mobility, and giving your muscles time to heal. Using functional movement and mobility techniques, these sessions can help restore your body and mind before your next round of training.

Take A Yoga Class

Yoga is often mentioned as a way to de-stress. Whether you take a hatha yoga class (which won’t be very fast-paced and is considered a moderate form of yoga) or a restorative one (which will be very slow), you’ll leave each class feeling blissful and like you’ve left your worries behind.You can incorporate yoga into your routine and think of it as a form of self-care.

Meditate Every Day

You can also start meditating every day by finding a place in your house or apartment and taking just a few minutes. Also, meditation has been linked to lower blood pressure, which helps prevent heart disease.By knowing yourself and the days when you want to focus on other aspects of health care and when you can push yourself in the studio, you’ll have a better understanding of the impact that your mind and mood have on your training. And you’ll be better than ever.If you want to Become Unstoppable, book a session with our coaches today and find the location that works for you. You can also follow us on Instagram for daily motivation.