The Dreaded Exercise Slump

Hello citizens of the Internet! I know it has been a few days since my last post, but I'm back!!

Have you ever been in a situation where you are consistently doing something over and over again...something that is practically part of your daily or weekly routine? Right! I'm sure we've all been in this place. You think you're on top of your game. Nothing can distract you from this routine activity...and then...BAM! Out of nowhere, the dreaded "slump" hits.

As a runner, I try to put in exercise every other day. I try to run  anywhere between 3 to 5 miles on my workout days. As with a lot of things, practice and consistency makes each experience that much better, and this is the standard that I have set for myself, at this point in time; however even my routine is at the mercy of the "slump."

My exercise slumps generally have their roots in my days off. Now, I'll speak for myself when I say that as much as I love running, I LOVE days off that much more. It feels so good to rest and recharge...but unfortunately, sometimes that one day off, turns into two days, which turns into four days, and soon I'll have realized that five or six days have gone by without me running. Yikes! Many of you may be thinking 'Forrest is just obsessed with running. He's forgotten what it feels like to relax.' Don't get me wrong, I love days off, as much as the next person; however, I notice that with my consistent routine of running every other day, I feel better during my runs.When I take a giant gap away from running and the come back, my "return run" is much more difficult to complete, than the run before the "slump" hit.

Here are some tips that I've incorporated into my life that help me avoid the dreaded slump:

1. Leave myself sticky notes on the walls of my room with encouraging, motivational phrases
2. Change the background of my phone to different places in which I would love to go running one day
3. Create small goals for me to reach for each run, ensuring that each run will be different
4. I have begun to regularly change my workout music
5. Treat myself to something every now and again when I go running, instead of falling into the temptation of the slump
6. Get others to go and run/workout with me. Two heads are better than one, and a running/exercise buddy could be just the thing to get your motivational juices flowing!

I hope my tips help, if you're experiencing/have experienced the "slump" like I have! Remember, nobody's perfect. I enjoy days off as much as anybody else, but I know that I shouldn't abuse the privileges of having days off, either.

Thank you for reading and as always, Peace, Love and Nutella!