So you're wondering if your guilty feelings from missing your workout are warranted? Are you being lazy or prudent for skipping an exercise session? Ultimately, that judgement call is up to you. Here are three instances that call for a pass, though:
1. You have a cold
If you are constantly sneezing or blowing your nose, do us (other gym patrons) all a favor and stay home! Although many people think that going to the gym with a cold will actually help them get over it faster, it may actually slow your recovery time. You see, when you are sick you need all your energy to fight off the illness and exercising consumes a huge amount of energy. Also, each time you sneeze or cough, you are spreading germs throughout the air and on everything you touch (doorknobs, water fountain, treadmill).
2. You have pulled a muscle or sprained a joint
No pain no gain right? Wrong. Especially when it comes to pulled muscles. Although you may feel that you lose strength when you let an injury heal, you run the risk of injuring the pulled muscle further or injuring a muscle around it. The best thing to do when you have a pulled muscle is R.I.C.E: rest, ice, elevation, and compression. Depending on how severe the pull is, the recovery time could be anywhere from days to months.
3. You’ve worked out for 6 days straight
Going hard? Well there is a such thing as going “too hard”. Overtraining is a chronic problem that many people overlook. You should not exercise more than 6 days in a row or repeat the same muscle group's exercise before resting it for 24 to 48 hours. When you overtrain, you do not give your body enough time to repair itself. This can result in you getting weaker, not stronger, so know when to throw in the towel!