What Should I Do If I Miss Some Workouts?

correcting for missed workouts

It happens to the best of us. You had a rough week at work or your family decides to do the “pop in” for a visit or your old college friends call you up and next thing you know you are in Cancun. Whatever the reason you workout schedule has gotten sidetracked, and you need to figure out how to get back into your regular routine.

Should you try and make up for the missed workouts, or just continue with your training plan in spite of the missed time? This is tough question because of the number of variables involved with each situation.

Consider these guidelines to help get back on course.

Don’t Dwell on It – First of all, accept that you got sidetracked. Curse yourself once and only once because missed workout time is something you can never regain. Now move on. Focus on the future.

How Far Away is Your Goal – If your goal is still far in to the future then it may be best to go back and make up those missed workouts. You can start from the point at which you got sidetracked. This also insures that you won’t start workouts that your body isn’t prepared to handle.

Don’t Risk Injury – This expands on the previous point. Don’t try to workout doubly hard just because you missed workouts. This might cause an increased risk of injury.

How Much Time Did You Miss – If you got sidetracked for an extended period of time then you are probably going to need a few workouts that help build you back up to previous levels.

Opportunity in Disguise – Overtraining can happen to anyone through constant tough workouts, stress, and fatigue without adequate rest. One way to recognize overtraining is a plateau in your progress or constant tiredness. If this is your situation the time off may have done some good and you will actually resume your workouts feeling refreshed and stronger than ever.

Previous Level of Conditioning – If you had a very good level of conditioning prior to getting sidetracked then continuing toward your goal in spite of the missed workouts might be in your best interest. Just make sure to recognize your limits and don’t risk injury. This could take you “out of the game” even longer.

Hope these guidelines help and try not to let it happen again.

About the Author:

Dillon Martin is a fitness professional and certified trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology. He created ExerciseUpdate in 2009 to give people quality information on workouts, nutrition, and motiavtion. He specializes in helping people train for and compete in endurance events such as 5K, 10K, Half-Marathons, Marathons, and Triathlons. You can find out more or contact him at www.dmfitness.com

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