Rest Days and Mood Swings???
 

Hi everyone. I'm curious. Since I started working out, I've noticed some mood swings. On days that I work out, I feel great. I'm happy, even (dare I say) sociable. Which is something for me to feel, because I am a huge introvert. :) I just feel really good on workout days.

However, I haven't really gotten a schedule down pat just yet for working out at the gym (Talking about serious cardio and weight training. I do make sure to get up and do more physical things everyday, not just when working out at the gym.) so I didn't go to the gym on either Thursday and Friday. Today, I just feel so depressed. I'm feeling a little lethargic. It's hard to not just want to stay in a cool spot and just forget about everything.

I have not been overeating. In fact, I have been pretty consistent about staying at range between 1500-1800 calories.

It has been pretty hot out here lately. Very high humidity. Going outside does NOT help; minus the breeze, it's just as bad outside.

I'm going to go the gym tonight. I think 2 days may be too much of a rest period for me.

I was just wondering though. Do any of you have rest days? Do you notice any side effects of not getting in an intensive workout everyday? Do you think maybe putting a couple of days between rest days might be a good idea?

Sorry for the super long post. I'm a bit of a rambler. Thanks to anyone in advance for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.

Andrea

Well, I didn't go to the gym yesterday, but I did go today. In fact, I just got back. I'm all ready feeling much better.

It made me think though. Could what I'm feeling be like a runner's high? I've heard of it before, but I always thought that you had to be running, I picture cross country track meet in my head. Perhaps by not getting an intense cardio workout, my body is coming off of a "high" so to speak, and... I don't really know.

Again, if anyone has any thoughts on the matter, I'd love to hear them.

Exercise gets your endorphins going; those are the body's natural "feel good" chemicals, so this sounds normal to me!

Well yeah! Oxygen helps boost your body's immune system, helps de-toxify (lovely catch phrase of the 21st century), drains the lymph system, enhances your brain function... all good things. Even just 15 minutes of light walking will help with these functions, so on your non-gym days, walk a half mile or so... feels good!

I definitely experience this. I have not worked out or walked since last Monday. I ate some pretty bad stuff this weekend too. I feel very blah today. It has even been commented on by two coworkers today. They say I don't seem myself. I just feel blah, nothing is actually wrong. I know that I need to eat better and get back to working out & walking. 1pm today will be my first walk this week. I can't wait to get outside!

Thanks for responding everyone.

Cassie and Frenchhen- When I read what you both wrote, it was like a *Duh!* moment for me. Endorphins pumping, oxygen flowing. I guess I was in just such a funk on Saturday that I wasn't able to realize the basic functions of what happens to the body. Going to the gym last night though definitely helped.

April-Thanks for your experience. It was nice to see that I wasn't the only one running a little low on, well, everything. It's not a fun experience. I didn't have that great of a weekend either, so along with not working out, I wasn't in a good frame of mind. Glad to see that you're getting out of the funk as well. I'm going to Zumba in a couple of hours, and will do some weight training too. I can't wait to get back in and just take care of business. :)

andieligon Hi.

I too feel like this inbetween gym days even though I do other exercise as well. I was told feeling like this is also a symtom of Caregiver Burnout, but I'd say my mind is fitter than my body & its becoming imparient.

At the moment I go to the gym 3 times a week, Mon, Wed & Friday. On my rest days, I either go out for a short bike ride or walk my dog or even both. Sundays I also do some weight training with dumb-bells.

I also noticed that when I workout I am very socialable and also and introvert. I just said I believe that excercise is like taking and anti-depressant for me. I recently pulled a hamstring and have not been able to work out and just went back after two months and the two month off I was depressed because I could not go back to zumba class therefore I also did not care about what I was eating either. If anyone has any suggestion how to strengthen my hamstring or any advice I would glady take it. I am 49 years old and just discovered excercise that I love so I am trying to get back on the band wagon on eating right and regular excercise my A1c is 5.8 it was 6.0 and i had lost 32.2 lbs and gained back about 11 pounds but working on getting under that 200lb mark which i have not seen in quite some time and bringing A1c down to decreased mark for diabetes.

I get this! Though I usually don't have a complete rest day. On the day I don't run I go horse riding in the morning, which is just a bit of fun, then maybe a light walk in the afternoon if I feel like it to keep me ticking over - even a little bit of activity seems to help relieve the "exercise itch". :)

Sorry to hear about the injury. Beside stretching, which will be even more important now than before your injury, I would recommend leg curls. These are usually done on a machine where you lay on you stomach and curl a padded bar using your ankles toward your buttocks. The great thing about the machine is you can go light and work up as you get the strenght back. Try to do a heavy enough weight that you can do 8 repetitions (studies show this to be the best for building strength) before you can't perform the movement again. Repeat for 3 to 4 sets.

Thanks all for responding! Sorry I haven't done likewise, I've been attending a Braille Boot Camp the past couple of days. My brain has been thoroughly melted from learning the code and it has NOT been good for staying on a diet. The instructor's motto was: "Your brain needs food. The brain likes glucose. Go eat a candy bar." Really. I tried sticking with the granola bars, but that candy dish was open. Only a couple. :o

Anyways, I really appreciate the responses.

svelasquez- That's actually similar to what I was thinking. With all the endorphins releasing and oxygen rushing in, it's a feel good cure-all if there ever was one. :)

Hadena- That does sound like a lot of fun. And I like that you call it the "exercise itch." That one's going in my vocab phrases. Haha, but it's true, after I started actually using my body, it's like it reawakened, and was saying "Hey, we should really be moving around. I don't like all this sitting you're doing."

Saturdays are my day of rest and a "free day", where I can indulge a little bit so I don't feel the need to cheat the rest of the week. I find that if I eat something that I wouldn't normally eat during the week, I feel like I ate a boulder and it's just a bit unpleasant. Other than that, I don't notice much of a change in how I feel emotionally.