What Happens When Good Workout Enthusiasm Goes Bad?
Effort, endeavor and enthusiasm are key aspects of any new plan that you embark on, particularly when it comes to fitness. If you want to see the benefits of anything you do, then these are qualities that you have to bring to the party.
Effort will see you through the initial difficult that comes with anything new, and endeavor will ensure you keep your eyes firmly on the end goal.
Then there is a third “E” word to consider: enthusiasm.
When Workout Enthusiasm Can Go Bad?
Enthusiasm is a much-prized quality. Bringing a lot of enthusiasm to any task will generally win you plaudits, even if you’re not particularly good at it.
From modern dance to karaoke singing, the sentence “well bless her! She’s not great but she’s going for it!” is one that has been uttered by most of us at one time or another.
So… enthusiasm is good, right? It means you burn energy, thus you’re going to see results sooner with your fitness goals – aren’t you?
Well… maybe not. When it comes to fitness aspirations, you have to be very careful indeed that you control the side of you that wants to push more, faster, stronger, higher, harder.
You Push Too Much
It’s a tempting to trap to fall into. Exercise feels good; most of us are aware of the staggering power that endorphins have on the body.
We feel happy when we work out thanks to the pure physical nature of the workout. And we then feel happy when we see the results in terms of our fitness and body shape.
So, it seems tempting to just up our workload. We already feel good, so why not push the extra mile, get to your fitness goals faster, and feel even better?
If you do this – and many people do, every year – then you’re not going to be feeling better. You’re not going to see more positive gains and changes. You’re not going to get an extra rush of endorphins flushing through your system. You’re going to get injured.
Is that a certainty? No, but nothing in life is. If you do push too hard and too fast however, it almost becomes an inevitability.
You Don’t Get Enough Time To Recover
Your body needs time to rest and recover when you have been exerting yourself. Your mind might be saying you should do more, up your number of gym visits, spend longer looking at home gym options, or just doing Pilates in front of the TV. But your body?
Your body responds to that kind of thinking with a long, low groan. It needs a break, and not doing so is going to result in it breaking for you.
When these bouts of enthusiasm hit, try and channel the energy into something more productive. Ask yourself a few questions about your current fitness regime:
- Are you doing all you can to cover the basics?
- Are you eating enough of the right foods?
- What are the best treadmills to help you get the most of your workout?
- Are you doing enough weights work?
Answering those questions should distract you for long enough to temper the desire to hit the gym over and over again. They’re all valuable questions, too – the kind you need to answer if you’re going to be enjoying your fitness regime in the safest, smartest way.
So calm your enthusiasm and keep the energy for fitness. But on occasion, let it be your mind that’s working out instead.
