Nowadays everyone is so much trying to keep fit, keep their hearts healthy and cholesterol count low that sometimes overlook the fact there are times when you should not be exercising at all. Besides the common excuses that people use, here you can find real reasons to stop training for a while and do not blame yourself in laziness.

When you are ill

Do not exercise if you are not feeling well, even if it is just a cold. Workout can put more strain on your immune system and prolong illness. As a result you will spend more time away from the physical activity. Training while being ill is also a prime cause of other injuries since it is more difficult to concentrate on what you are doing when you feel bad. Have not you seen someone faint while doing a step class with a high temperature, and get a black eye from hitting neighbor’s step?

When you have not had enough recuperation time

Do not rush back to your normal workout routine after you have been ill. Starting to train too early is likely to lead to a reemergence of your symptoms. When you do decide to go back to the gym, be sure to start your exercises slowly and with care. Even one week or so off your usual routine can make a difference. Ease yourself back into your shape by doing just half of your normal workload and gradually building up.

When you are feeling stressed and wiped out

There sometimes are days when you do not feel like going to the gym, but sometimes your body might be telling you to take a break. It will do you a power of good to have a day off from your fitness classes. Go home, have a healthy meal and do not punish yourself mentally for not being at the gym. Remember that all-round fitness incorporates spiritual wellbeing. Even though workouts can give you that stress-lifting endorphin high, sometimes you just need to relax.

When you have an injury

Whatever the injury, make sure that it is completely healed before you return to training. A simple one could be become much worse by your well-meaning attempt to lose it up. You can hurt yourself again and even worse. Seek professional advice from your doctor for any sports or strain injury that is still painful after one day.

When you have not got the proper equipment

Whatever your sport is, make sure you buy the best equipment you can afford. Do not just follow the fad for the latest trendy trainers or gear. Not having the right equipment can result in injury. Take footwear seriously. A good sports shop will have well-trained staff who can assist you in choosing the correct shoes that you need. For instance, there are different types of trainers for running, depending on your natural step. Other forms of sport equipment such as horse riding gear have to be bought from a professional supplier.

When you have got a hangover

If you have got a hangover from the last night, think carefully before attending your morning aerobics class. Alcohol leaves you dehydrated, so be sure you have drunk enough water to balance out this effect. Ask yourself if you are still under the influence. It takes the body about one hour to process a unit of alcohol. If you have had 4 pints of beer, it won’t be out of your body for 11 hours. Do not work out if there is any chance that you are still drunk. Think about when you last ate. Sometimes having breakfast with a hangover is the last thing you want to do, but if you have not taken in enough fuel to exercise, do not do it.

When you are pregnant

The rules about working out in pregnancy form a whole book in them, so here the subject is only touched on. The main point is that you can exercise throughout the pregnancy as long as you feel like it and your GP and midwife have said you can. While the advice is to keep fit throughout your pregnancy, the emphasis is on not improving but maintaining fitness. Pregnancy is a 9 month workout in itself. If you decide to exercise during pregnancy, get professional advice after the third month on what you should not and should do.

After your baby is born

How many celebrities do you hear boasting that they went straight back to 400 sit-ups per day within a day of childbirth? Firstly, you should not believe a word of it, and secondly they seem to be going against all health guidelines if they do. However desperate you are to retrieve your figure, you have to wait 6 weeks before you can start gently working out, or 11 weeks if you have had a C-section. After this time, you can start slowly to gradually build up to your old training routine. And get professional advice about which sort of abdominal workouts you should be doing post-baby. An area that causes a lot of silent embarrassment is the pelvic floor muscle. If you have done work on it during those nine months you should not have too much trouble, but get some specific workout set down for you to help prevent leakage.

Lack of motivation

The main piece of advice is to be sensible and always think about your motives for working out and why you do not want to exercise. Be honest with yourself. If you really just can’t be bothered, maybe you are finding your exercise routine boring. If that is the case, it is time you shook up this routine a bit. Try adding new forms of workouts that seems interesting for you such as dance classes, in-line skating or aqua aerobics. Finally, remember how many times you have said that you do not feel like it and come away saying that you are really glad you did that.