How do you bounce back to fitness after a bad mental health day/week/month/year?

[fx1]

@christineleex3 What I would recommend if a go
To
The gym, no plan just go workout what seems fun enjoy it combine whatever you want. Then slowly get back to a program

 

[com1844]

@christineleex3 Here to say you’re not alone.

 

[goaztecs]

@christineleex3 I get a whiteboard, set a goal for the day and focus on getting it done. If that's just "go for a ten minute walk" then so be it. Whatever you can handle. I tend to be a perfectionist so i have to tell myself that good enough will do and sometimes that looks like doing 10% of what I originally planned and not beating myself up about it.

But what helps me is i set the whiteboard up for the next 6 weeks. So i roughly plan out what days I'll exercise and how (sometimes it literally does just say "walk"!), and adapt around any events i know are happening, and then each week just rub stuff out and change it where needed. The trick is i get to cross off each day as I go, and then i get the satisfaction of seeing all the crossed off days.

It helps me feel motivated and pleased with myself but also gives me some structure to follow if I don't want to think about what I'm doing that day/week. I can also plan in progressions so for example i was writing in every Sunday roughly how many km i was aiming to run in total that week.

This could either be useful or completely overwhelming tbh but you'll know yourself haha. I know when I had bad anxiety the idea of staring 4-6 weeks in the future would've broken my brain. But for now it helps keep me on track and also reminds me when I have a bad week, that I've had 3 good weeks leading up to it. That somehow makes me more likely to get back on it the next week.

 

[teaandcrumpets]

@christineleex3 Walks. Great for mental health, good for the heart, gentle on sorer joints like knees. I've cycled a lot because of health stuff- being an intensely active person who did weights, hiked, jogged, gyme 3x a week, to long periods of bad fatigue & doing nothing. Walk commitments have worked as my entrance back into exercise a few times in this cycle.

I like starting with really small manageable goals like 5,000 steps any time during the day, just get the steps in. Low pressure, but try to string 5 days per week together. Then I up it to throw in some 7000-10000 step days. After a few weeks I want to add in some light stretching.. eventually it builds to wanting to do more. If I really don't want to do anything, even a 3000 step walk around a few blocks and up some light hills or walk to an errand feels like a win.

I try to notice that even in a crap mood, after the first 10 minutes or so, my mood eases up. Try to notice the rewards, and really celebrate the wins- even if you fake it till you make it. It will feel a little crappy because some part of me thinks back on what great shape I once was in, but don't let that voice win.

An accountability buddy who you can text your step count to and they'll shoot you a star or thumbs up goes a long way. Someone to walk with, even better. Podcasts and music will do too.

Sorry for your loss and the struggle, but you got this.

 

[househ]

@christineleex3 Ok so, I am also diagnosed with PTSD and went from the best shape of my life to gaining 20 lbs (SSRI + pandemic) and feeling like a shell of myself. It's really hard. I was so demoralized it took everything not to give up.

I don't know what your personality is like, but I know that what helped me was getting back in to the gym starting 3 days, then increasing once I found a program that worked for me. I even paid a bit more to get help with my form with semi private training, and it gave me a little extra confidence.

I think it's important to start with short term goals, then medium, etc. If you start out thinking you have to be at the end already, or what your performance was like before, you're just being too hard on yourself.

 

[lizzielou]

@christineleex3 I have severe anxiety almost every morning before gym. I get anxious around a lot of people. I still go. Rarely do I feel good and look forward to gym. I just sort of go anyways. Acknowledge the feeling and go in anyways and feel good afterwards.

Think of hunger and you not being able to eat at that exact moment, or having to use the restroom but having to hold it till you get to a bathroom. You acknowledge the feeling and you keep moving... cause if you don't you won't end up getting something to eat or you won't find a restroom... or you won't, in this example, reach your fitness goals.

I feel the anxiety and just go anyways.

 

[mottec]

@christineleex3 With nutrition, try to stay in an abundance mindset. When I focus on eating AS MUCH protein and fiber as I can (from nutritious sources), I feel so much happier with my diet and don't cheat as much as when I tell myself I can't have something. And when I get drunk and eat nachos or ice cream, I don't feel guilty about it because I filled my body with the good stuff for the rest of the day. The treats are more satisfying after filling your nutritional needs, too. If I start my day with a donut, I'm going to have a tough day and no willpower.

 

[adriw7878]

@christineleex3 Hire a coach that can help you get back on track . GL!

 

[mlabarge]

@christineleex3 My go-to is to just get 20 minutes of movement in. It's been a rough few years for me with back-to-back (one completely unexpected) pregnancies, being a covid nurse while pregnant, and just generalized anxiety and depression throughout the past few years. I just try to take it slow. 20 minutes of whatever exercise I feel like doing (or a walk or whatever). I used to have a great exercise routine that included a three day push/pull/leg split and I miss it, but my life is so different now and I just have to focus on small goals at the moment. So I set a goal for 20 minutes and I can usually accomplish that.

 

[boltnut]

@christineleex3 Hey just wanted to let you know that you are not alone!! I am in the same unmotivated state and really thinking about how I took my great fitness for granted. With the pandemic, and then a surgery, and now fully capable to get back to normal…I’m left 30 pounds heavier with ill fitting clothes and just thinking about how I didn’t appreciate the body I had before. I kept striving for more weight loss when I could have just appreciated what my body was doing.

Now, I am trying to get back to that physique and that fitness lifestyle. It’s discouraging to not be able to run as far and fast, or lift as much, or just feel as comfortable in my own skin as I did before. It will take time. And consistency.

You are not alone. If you need someone to talk to or rant to, I’m all ears! And I know many in the sub understand and are here for you too!

 

[dawn16]

@christineleex3 I got shot Christmas eve. 20 days in the hospital. Could only walk short distance when I got out. Could barely bend my leg. Starting lifting in February. Ran 1/6 a mile end of February.ran 3 miles yesterday.just slowly keep doing more

 

[tamaralynn]

@christineleex3 I'm sorry you're experiencing one of life's lows. Life is hard, and I hope the advice in this thread is helpful to you. What I have learned first and foremost is you have to find what works for you. You've gotten a lot of good ideas here, and I hope some of them resonate with you. Here is what is working for me right now.

I had a stroke at age 36 and it totally redefined my fitness and health goals. It shifted my nightly reflection from "did I exercise and eat right today?" (which feels and/or is impossible when you're in life's valleys) to "how did I reduce my risk of another stroke today?" One of those questions is a binary yes/no that discourages me and results in me not caring about my goals when I go too many days/weeks/months without meeting it. The other helps me think more broadly--I don't have to do ALL the things right (and feel all of the feelings of failure when I inevitably fail a lot), but I owe it to myself to do at least one thing each day to reduce my risk of another stroke (your fitness motivation will likely vary). Personally, my stroke risk-reduction things are (1) fueling my body with nutritious food (2) not overeating or binging (3) stressing my cardiovascular system and (4) strengthening my muscles.

On a great day, I might do all those things. Yay! Good for me! But on my low days, I force myself to pick one, whichever feels the easiest. So maybe I'll eat pizza and skip my workout, but if I do that I'm going to eat some carrots and a banana first. Good job me! I met my goal of reducing my risk of another stroke today. And maybe another day I'll just go on a 10min walk bc that feels more palatable than eating some carrots. Also a victory! The bottom line is I have to do ONE of those things, and I let myself pick the one that feels easiest that day (AND I don't beat myself up about not doing the other three things).

I find that after enough days of doing just the one easiest thing, I start to have the energy to do more (or even all) of the things on my stroke risk-reduction list. Each day builds a little more momentum. But it's the "just one thing" mentality that really helps pull me out of the sluggish lows when I don't feel like doing anything.

So I guess what I'm saying is my ability to meet my fitness goals is tightly intertwined with my other health goals, and if I focus on making progress on one easy health-related goal that matters to me, the rest tend to follow. Hang in there, and good luck.

 

[khop]

@christineleex3 I went through something similar. I used to play roller derby, do CrossFit, run, I loved it all.

Since the pandemic started I have had two cross country moves (one not by choice), lots of traumatic stuff happen, and deep trouble depression.

Oh, and I gained 80 lbs.

I kept thinking that if I "just start" again with the gym, everything else would fall into place. The starting was hard. My endurance was terrible, my body was so different than before, and on top of that I am now in my forties.

I'd get a lot of momentum, then something would disrupt it. Then I'd have to start over, again. I'd be super excited about a goal, then poof, now I had COVID. And on and on.

I'm somewhat settled now, I found a Crossfit gym that I like, and even though I am now so big and heavy that I walk differently, I keep going.

Everything is cumulative. Every time I stopped for whatever reason, my next "starting over" was easier. Your body remembers so much if your workouts, your training, your efforts. It really will play along once it has a few sessions to remember what's going on.

Like others have said, any increment counts. During the pandemic and when I was also grieving my mother who died unexpectedly, I found a couple of super basic things I could do in my kitchen. Just 2 minutes of work per day. It all made a difference.

Just show up, even if you show up, and immediately turn back around and go home, that's a win. 90% of the battle is getting into the building. In fact, my workout partner from years ago and I sometimes had to call a day's session "this is a we're in the building" workout. We'd do something milder and call it a day. It all adds up. Your body appreciates the effort.

One last thing... I need a lot more sleep than I did 5 years ago. I went through a lot of shit, and with hard workouts again, my body just needs more rest. Making extra time for rest and sleep might help you transition into workouts smoother. It's made a difference for me.

Lots of love to you.

 

[nyjb]

@christineleex3 Hi OP, I relate to what you're saying very much. In my situation, I also ended up with some physical constraints this year that have made it hard to get back into "the gym," and will for a bit longer. So, for the first time, I decided to do the boring vanilla thing and go on a reduced calorie diet! My only exercise has been going for long walks most days of the week, because that's enjoyable for me.

It really unf*cked my brain to be able to accomplish something on a daily and weekly basis that was fairly simple and unambiguous: just stick to a calorie budget and lose a pound a week. There was some troubleshooting in the first couple of months, but aside from that, I found it more psychologically balancing than forcing myself to "eat clean" based on whatever culty food philosophy my coach is into (hello younger self), and feeling like a failure for giving in to food cravings. Fuck eating clean, just be nice to yourself, stick to a calorie budget, and do gentle exercise that feels good until you're ready for something else. It will feel good to see the weight come off, and you can hit the weights when it feels right.

 

[unicorns26]

@christineleex3 Thank you for your post! So many beautiful and insightful responses. Saving this for when future me needs it!

 

[autumnfan]

@christineleex3 Start lightly! I go through depressive states and coming out of them can be overwhelming and just... A lot

What do you prefer? Just start with that. Doesn't have to be a long time. Whether it's yoga, lifting, dance, running, swimming, anything! Start out slow and don't overwhelm yourself.

Hugs!!!

 

[graemeevans]

@christineleex3 Hi,

Feel free to message me, I am currently going through loosing my mom - realizing that i have cptsd

I find comfort routine in my routine and fitness. At some points its the only thing i have going for me. I would suggest finding some active that you enjoy with friends

 

[dawn16]

@christineleex3 You don't bounce. Do not set the expectation that you will "bounce". You will be disappointed and fall into a dark spiral again.
Fitness is a bit of a grind until you get into it. Just start.
Discipline is the key. Do a set amount every day. Whether it is 30 minutes or 30 reps or whatever. Just do it every day. Start from there and then you can progress.

 

[americanlegacysocial]

@christineleex3 Do you want it bad enough? If nothing changes nothing changes....I've found some of my best work outs are the ones I don't have much motivation to do. I just lost my brother to fentanyl OD. For my lifting is my foundation it is my highest priority alongside eating enough to build. Everything else in my life works out if I keep my discipline there. Everything else I do on a daily is stuff I really don't want to do but have to do in order to maintain ie work pay bills self care. Hopefully that helps idk

 

[dawn16]

@christineleex3 I have severe depression. 5 months ago I was arrested for drunk driving. Since then I’ve gotten sober, but my life has been a roller coaster of ups and severe downs. I know for certain that my not being in the gym since has played a massive role.

I always believed that the most important time to go lift is when you don’t want to. It has to be a debt paid everyday. I’ll never lose sight of that again. No matter how bad it gets.

I hope you find your way back to whatever training you’re into, and when you don’t want to go, do it. See what happens. It may change things.