Lasting exercisers do not work out to burn off bad eating
Personal trainer Ollie Weguelin says steady gym-goers stick to their normal routine for the lift, focus, and rest it brings.
aol.com · How to Build a Gym Routine That Actually Fits Into Your Busy Life - AOLEvery year after Christmas and the summer holidays, personal trainer Ollie Weguelin hears the same gym talk. It is some version of time to start over after indulgence, with the unspoken message underneath: you indulged, so now it is time to punish yourself with weights.
Weguelin, who coaches busy clients on building routines they can keep, says that mindset can lead to burnout. “The best gym-goers don’t use training as a punishment,” he says. “A session isn’t there to burn off a big weekend, or to make up for a bad week of eating.”
In his view, treating exercise as payback for living your life creates the wrong mindset, so a heavy night out or a week of indulgent eating does not call for a harder workout or a different plan. He tells people to stick to the same workouts they always do, even after they have overdone it.
He wants people to train for what they get from it, not for what it makes up for. “You should train because of what it gives you, which is more energy, a clearer head and better sleep,” he says. He adds, “And not because you think you ‘should’ be balancing the scales in some way.”
Punishment can backfire as motivation, while the payoff gives people a reason to return. Energy, focus, and rest often follow a steady session, even an ordinary one. In his view, the people who keep going are not making up for the weekend. They train for what the session gives them.
Questions people ask
Does exercise really give you more energy and better sleep?
Yes. Regular moderate exercise is linked to less daytime fatigue, sharper attention, and falling asleep faster with fewer nighttime wakeups. The effect does not require an all-out workout, and people often report feeling more alert the same day they move.
What should I do after a weekend of overeating?
Do the workout you had planned, at the normal length and effort. A single indulgent weekend does not undo fitness, and trying to punish it with an extra-hard session raises the risk of soreness, poor form, and skipping the next workout.
Why does punishment as motivation backfire?
It can. Tying workouts to guilt makes exercise feel unpleasant, and one missed payback session can feel like failure. People are more likely to keep exercising when the immediate reward is feeling better afterward.