Should You Workout When You're Tired?

Being tired is one of the most used excuses to not work out. But is there a time when it is a legitimate reason to take a rest day?

Here are a few factors I consider when deciding if I should skip a workout due to being tired:

❓What type of tired am I feeling? Physical, mental or emotional?

If I am so physically tired I can't keep my eyes open, then it could potentially be safer to take a rest day. Mental and emotional fatigue can also take a toll making it unsafe to work out. This also can depend on your fitness and skill levels in the gym. If you're newer, taking a rest day may be best. If you're more experienced, you may be able to push through safely.

❓How does my body feel?

If I am tired but overall my body feels good, I will push through. However if I am unusually sore or am feeling joint pain due to severe fatigue, then a rest day may be necessary to avoid further injury.

❓How does my brain feel?

Fatigue to the point of inability to focus could be a reason to rest. However getting in a workout could be exactly what you need to clear your head. This might be a day that you go to the gym and then guage how you feel once you're there.

❓What has the past few weeks of workouts looked like?

It's very easy to fall into a habit of finding excuses not to work out. So if you look back over the last few weeks and find you have missed one or more workouts each week due to being tired, maybe a mindset adjustment is in order. That being said, if your workouts are beyond reasonable intensity, you may need to scale your workouts back to allow for consistency.

A few tips for those workouts you do when you're pushing through fatigue:

💪 Lower the weight. Think 60-70% of what you usually do depending on how you're feeling.

💪 Shorten the workout. Maybe just work out for half an hour and see how you feel.

🦵Work on mobility or stretching. Sometimes just moving your body can help make you feel better.

Overall, unscheduled rest days should be few and far between. Working out is meant to push you out of your comfort zone; taking rest days every time you feel mildly uncomfortable is a great way to not see results.