Dear Cassey: What happens if I get bored with working out?
Dear Cassey,
After taking care of your body, what left is there? I mean of course there are always different kinds of exercises, different foods, different places to see, new people, but what do you do when you get bored with working out and tired of changing up your routine? When you get tired of trying new foods, seeing new places, meeting new people? What do you do when it’s all not really satisfactory as it used to be? Is there something else to turn to, in your opinion?
– Wondering What’s Next
Hi Wondering What’s Next,
This is such a great question that I’m sure more people wonder about than you even realize! I think everyone gets bored with working out at some point. Is fitness just a never-ending road? Do we just keep cycling through new workouts, diets, and fitness communities every time we lose interest?
The answer is maybe. It works for some people, but it’s not the ONLY option!
Know when you need to push through
This might sound harsh? But hear me out.
You know that feeling when you really don’t want to do something but then it’s great once you’re doing it? Working out is like that sometimes. It’s totally normal to get into a slump for something, no matter how much you love it! Even Simone Biles recently went through something similar! Sometimes the key is to just keep going.
When I feel like this with working out, I just take it down a notch. I commit to a 15-minute walk, or some feel-good yoga. More often than not, it leads to a longer workout because I always feel so much better once I get started.
So start there! If you’re still not feeling it…
Be real about your goals
Be super honest: are your goals ACTUALLY challenging you? Or are you basically going through the motions?
I can always tell when I’m not challenging myself enough when I get bored. When a goal really puts you to the test, making that achievement is addicting. It never gets boring.
So go back to the drawing board with your goals! What is your “why,” and has it changed? Because it totally can!
And if your “why” isn’t so much about fitness at the moment…
Taking a break is healthy too
Sometimes, a break is part of the process. It doesn’t mean fitness is taking the back seat, or your priorities have totally changed. It doesn’t mean you’re “letting yourself go” or being lazy.
If your workouts stop bringing you joy and the thought of yet again trying something new just doesn’t sound appealing, it’s time for a break. It’s time to refresh your spirit with a new activity… or no activity.
Maybe this phase of life is just about being more social and you need more free time to make it happen. Or maybe it’s about being LESS social and working more on your mental health. Maybe you want less routine.
The cool thing about fitness is, at some point you’ll want it back! Depending on how much time you take off, you might have to build back up to where you once were. But guess what? That new challenge will reignite your spark and your “why.”
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?
Don’t forget to acknowledge how far you’ve come
Finally, give yourself credit where it’s due. I am soooooo bad about diluting my accomplishments sometimes. I think a lot of us are guilty of this, right? Like yeah I crushed my goal of ___ BUUUUT I should have done better at ___.
Ugh why do we do that? It takes away so much joy! Soak it in, because you deserve it!
The “rule” that says we can always be doing more or pushing harder is just damaging. It forces us to constantly compare our progress to others and ultimately it leads to major burnout.
No matter what, only you know what you need!
Hopefully these tips help, but you have to do you! You know yourself better than anyone. If you feel yourself getting bored with working out, or any part of your routine, don’t stress. Just make small changes and focus on your “why.”
PS – If you have a burning question you want to ask me, leave your questions below! I may answer it in an upcoming Dear Cassey post!
44 thoughts on “Dear Cassey: What happens if I get bored with working out?”
There are 44 comments posted by our users.
Dear Cassey
I have tried and tried but I can not lose weight, all I want to eat is sweets. What can I do to stop this?
Dear Cassey,
a year ago I found out that I’ve had a lower back spinal disc herniation. Since then I’m very anxious about working out. I’m not 100% sure what I should or should not do. Especially when it comes to ab exercises. My doctor didnt specifically tell me not to do anything besides maybe high impact, but I’ve heard and read that it isn’t exactly ideal to do crunch exercises or things of that sort. I really love your workouts, especially the ab ones, but I don’t know if I can just carefree do them, even if I really concetrate on the form etc. Could you by chance give me some answers? Like – if I can just still do your ab workouts or if I should maybe only do some moves and others not maybe?
Dear Cassey,
I’ve been working at a desk job for the last 3 years and, I think mainly owing to that, I’ve now developed and anterior pelvic tilt. It causes me to have really bad back pain if I’m standing still for too long, so standing in long lines is really difficult for me now. I know that it’s important for me to strengthen my abs and booty to help this go away and I was wondering if you had any suggestions for specific moves I could do to help! Since the pandemic I’m sure a lot of us have spent more time sitting down than usual so if anyone else has this problem too I hope it can help them. Thank you!
Dear Cassey,
I just finished your beginner’s calendar. Some days I didn’t complete every workout I was supposed to, and some days I felt I couldn’t do all the moves asked of me. I still got a little bit stronger and am working toward being more fit. I want to be able to go up the stairs without being out of breath! I was wondering if you would ever be able to make a flexibility program for your BODY app? That would be something I could be super interested in, as my hamstrings are way too tight to do some of the moves the rest of my body would be able to! Also, I know my diet is possibly getting in the way of “making gains,” but I really enjoy my favorite unhealthy foods like ice cream and pizza. Will I have to say goodbye to those forever in order to lose some weight?
Hey Cassey and people
So i really need help right now, my mind been very turbulent and full of question, it’s an stupid thing and i always tell my self that’s ok but i also can’t hear my self, the thing is… I started working 12 hours a day and take the next day off, but…I always keep thinking about the day I work and I don’t have time to exercise when I get home, and this kinda make me feel guilty and start thinking that everything I went through and the effort I had to get to the “body I wanted” and how i feel very good about myself and confident, and that disappear bec i take an one day break, idk why I’m scared to go back to the way i was, i just need an advice to get these thoughts out of my mind i feel like worst than before
I’m really sorry for the big comment, but if someone could help me i would be very grateful :’)
Hi Cassey,
I was wondering. Now that you’ve completed your 90 days to muscle, are you going to create a series on YouTube for us followers to attempt to also build some muscle? Naturally it doesn’t have to be a 3 month series. I’m sure there are many more people than just myself who would adore and appreciate a chance to have guided muscle building by you 🙂 especially considering how popular your 28 day Tone series was!
Lots of love,
Newbie
I gained a ton of weight over the past few years (about 30 in 3 years). 6 months ago, I started working out and jogging to help tone up and slim down… except I’m not slimming down, I’m only toning up. It feels like all the fat in my arms and legs are replaced equally into muscle which is great for toning, but makes me look HUGE. None of my “fat” clothes (loose and comfy) fit anymore because of the bulk and it’s really frustrating. Is there a way to work out to tone up and slim down? I’m so frustrated!
Dear Cassey! I’ve been using your videos to work out and it’s been a ton of fun! So first and foremost, thank you for providing such great routines to work out! Second, I have this burning question of what to do with uneven muscle growth! Specifically, in the arms, I’ve been working out my arms but my dominant one (my right arm) is significant much stronger than my non-dominant arm (my left arm). Is there anything more I could do about this?
Sincerely, Concerned but strong in dominant arm
Hi Casey! I’m interested in your clothes and in supporting organizations that are eco-friendly. Can you tell me what you do to reduce your carbon footprint?
Oops, sorry! Autocorrect. I meant Cassey.
Could not agree more! I was so into working out and then everything changed once the war broke out. My workout schedule was unrealistic to maintain because my job was extremely stress-inducing, life was just to much. Now, a month later, I’m finally in the position to start taking care of myself again and having some balance in life. I look forward to using my body and working towards my goals. Taking a time off does not mean giving up!
Dear Cassey, I started trying to commit to working out frequently this last couple months, but the internet is so crazy it’s hard to know what exercises to do. I want to slim down my legs and see muscles in my abs but one youtube will say that an exercise is good for building abs and another one will say it’s horrible. For instance, some thigh slimming videos will only use squats and plies and others will say it only bulks them up. How do I know what exercises actually work for my goals? Also, what is the amount of time you should spend working out every day? I know it depends on the person and there are other forms of exercise but I don’t want to be working out too little where it doesn’t do anything or work out for too long where the extra 10 minutes doesn’t even do anything. Thanks, Cassey.
Sincerely,
Misinformed and Mystified
Totally get why you’re confused! The internet is full of conflicting info! My advice is to not overthink it and start with workouts you enjoy, for an amount of time you can do consistently. You can’t spot reduce fat, but you can strengthen the areas you want – don’t worry about getting bulky! Fat loss will come over time with consistent exercise and healthy diet!
Dear Cassey, I started trying to commit to working out frequently this last couple months, but the internet is so crazy it’s hard to know what exercises to do. I want to slim down my legs and see muscles in my abs but one youtube will say that an exercise is good for building abs and another one will say it’s horrible. For instance, some thigh slimming videos will only use squats and plies and others will say it only bulks them up. How do I know what exercises actually work for my goals? Also, what is the amount of time you should spend working out every day? I know it depends on the person and there are other forms of exercise but I don’t want to be working out too little where it doesn’t do anything or work out for too long where the extra 10 minutes doesn’t even do anything. Thanks, Cassey.
– misinformed and mystified
Dear Cassey, you were the one who originally got me into working out – pop Pilates ftw! I worked out with you for years, and broadened my horizon when I got into weight lifting… being as flexible and hard-cored (pun-lol now) as I was, it was perfect! I endured a crazy career change in 2015, and life has passed by so quickly since. I’m not a mother of two young boys, both under the age of 4, and very out of shape. I find it SO hard now to make time, or even muster up the energy and will to do a single exercise.. It has really taken it toll on me, and I’m really lost because working out use to be a passion. What can you suggest that can help me out, and maybe give me some motivation or energy! Thanks, Cassey.
-working and tired mom
Dear Cassey,
I know it’s important to take arest day to let your body recover. But whenever I don’t exercise I feel super guilty and feel worse about myself for resting. How do I overcome this? xoxo
Dear Cassey
I started my journey in 2020. From then I’ve never looked back. From the past two years I’ve really worked hard and incorporated various routines into my life. But have just lost 6 kgs in total. From the past three months I’ve also started strength training. I can see just some differences in my body but there’s no difference on the scale and even the measurements. I just don’t know whether I am doing the right thing or I should continue on this journey. I started this after many failed attempts and therefore don’t want to quit. But things just don’t seem to change and I am lost in the same cycle again.
Sincerely,
Don’t know what to do…
Dear Cassey,
My name is Ola Saleh. You may recall I was actually one of the scholarship recipients for your recent scholarship program to become a certified Pop Pilates instructor. However, I was unable to complete it within the time frame. For that opportunity, I wanted to say thank you! I think the scholarship was a great and generous offer, if it had been better circumstances for my personal life at the time I would have gladly completed the program. That brings me to why I am writing to you today. My father, who had recently undergone open heart surgery has dreams of getting back to work. He dreams of opening a trailer parking lot as a way to tie him back to his long time career of truck driving. My father, for the longest time was the sole provider of this family until his children could provide for him. For the in depth story, please take a look at the GoFundMe link I have sent. I do not wish for a large sum donation, but hopefully just someone with a bigger platform than mine to share it. Even if it were in your personal bubble, not on your social media, I understand there is issues with sharing things like this. My goal is just to get the GoFundMe out there. That way possibly, whoever truly wants to, can donate. It would mean the world to me if you just read the GoFundMe essay. I have been doing your videos since I was 16, I feel like you were part of my high school experience, and now apart my adult life, so I thank you for everything thus far.
Love,
Ola Saleh
Dear Cassey,
What’s your advice for when a physical health issue is keeping you from working out and it’s getting to your mental health? I’ve had a ventral hernia in my abdominal wall for a couple years and am having surgery to correct it in three months. Plus it’s 6-8 weeks to recover so I won’t be able to workout for the next 5 months. I bloat all the time and the hernia hurts sometimes. I know it will be fine until my surgery but being in discomfort makes the inability to work out even worse. I just wish I could get the surgery tomorrow! It’s hard to stay optimistic.
Sincerely,
Missing the gym
First of all, omg I love your routines, and I’m a regular Blogilates-er! I have a question about birth control — girl to girl.
I’m about to start it for my honeymoon, and I’m worried about weight gain? My doctor says it’s not an issue but it’s all I hear about online. I guess my question is if you’ve experienced it? Or if you have any tips?
Thank you so much Cassey ❤️
Dear Cassey,
Over the past year or so, I’ve started to workout more. BUT! One thing that I noticed pretty early on is that LITERALLY NOTHING WORKS?!? I’ve tried to workout more, somehow I gain weight and loose muscle. I’ve tried to eat healthy, ehh, that didn’t last long. I’ve literally tried everything, do everything more, and nothing works. If I don’t work out I think, “Well back to square one, again” if I eat a snack, I feel guilty. For a little while, I actually hated the taste of food, it all just tasted like shame and guilt. I’m pretty sure that I look the same as when I started working out. Every day feels like square one again. What do I do?
Sincerely, Stuck in a loop
Dear Cassey,
how can I have an healthy lifestyle if i’m still a teen? I find it really hard and I don’t know what to do. I find myself eating more food than i need and it affects my body image. It will be great if you have any advice for me.
Also thank you! your workout are amazing!!
T
Dear Cassey,
So i have been doing your workouts for a bit and am in love with how you present them and motivate us to keep going! But I’ve realised something, that most of the time when I workout, I feel so tired after! I would be energised for a moment then I slip and just feel like a nap, the workouts dont feel so intense, I slept for about 6-7 hours, had a pre-snack and had fibre cereal after and drank a lot of water, but why do I feel this way? Is it diet? Lack of sleep? Am I exercising too hard? Muscle fatigue? I dont know.
I hope you can reply soon!
Kind regards, Tiny.
Dear Cassey,
I fell in love with movement about two years ago. It’s become something I need to keep my mental health balanced, especially as a student! During the pandemic, I questioned when and how much to eat, and I started to compare my eating patterns to others. I subconsciously restricted how much I ate and unintentionally lost weight and my period. I’ve been trying to regain them both, but have been really struggling to see results. My exercise routine has become very irregular with school (I started your January Challenge though, and I LOVE IT! It’s helping me reconnect with the joy of movement, and I love how it gives me a set routine to follow. You give me a reason to feel excited each morning!). I also recently started tracking calories to make sure I hit a minimum, but overall I want to know how you determine what your nutrition and fitness goals are and how you confidently own your choices without comparison. Exercising is fun for me, and I never know how much is “enough,” and I’m always questioning my eating habits, so it makes me more anxious. Do you have any advice? Most tips are for people trying to lose weight.
Dear Cassey,
During quarantine I worked out a lot, and was feeling the best version of myself. But lately, I’ve been under so much pressure and stress that I lost all motivation for working out. Every once in a while I push myself to finish a 30 minute workout, but most times I can only get through one half of a single video, ultimately leaving me to binge eat and lose all motivation to work out each day. Have any advice for me on how to stop binge eating and love and work on my body more?
– Best Wishes,
Lost Motivation
Dear Cassey
I know how hard it can be to stick with a fitness routine, and I tried earlier this year by doing cardio 5 days a week but after a month I became unmotivated and found it tedious to run on the treadmill for 5 days
Now, I want to try to workout again and stick to my routine but my family tries to ofece me to work out makes it hard for me to do what activities I want on my own terms. Some of my family members try to make it better by saying they will work out too, but they never do or aren’t forced to work out like I am, or they recommend different video or discs but when I point out how it’s too “hardcore” for myself at the moment, they always just say it will get easier, but it seems harder.
It seems that now when I work out I hate doing it and often spend the time that’s supposed to be my “me time” just wishing it was over
Do you have any advice to help?
Thanks,
Forced to work out
Dear Cassey,
Wishing you a happy new year and hope you had a Merry Christmas.
I love both weights but I need to stretch be more flexible as I am trying to strengthen my dancer’s body after getting over an eating disorder and depression.
How do I combine weights, pilates and yoga in a realistic routine?
Ps, I love your videos and boho beautiful more wanderlust. The Houghs are my fav from Dancing with the stars x
Finally, loving the body God gave me.
Dear Cassey,
I started working out more seriously this year but one thing has always bothered me.
Even though I don’t go to a gym and rarely workout in front of people (yes, I tell my family to leave the room) I always feel like I’m being watched by someone then I think, “I bet I look real stupid right now,” and those thoughts discourage me. I want to workout way more but all I can think is, “You’re going to look stupid,” so I have no idea what to do and how to stop those thoughts!
Do you have any advice?
-Sincerely, Kind of Discouraged
Dear Cassey,
About a month ago I started waitressing at a cafe as a part-time job during my school holidays. But,,, recently I got really unmotivated to exercise and eat healthy, because I am always hungry or super tired to workout. Usually I would workout daily and try to eat clean, but recently due to the job my eating habits got really bad- I would go to a convenience store to get bread after work everyday and eat the leftover croissants in the cafe. What do I do? How do I get back into my regular routine while coping with the new job?
Always hungry and tired
Dear Cassey,
I’m facing an emotional eating issue lately. Since the day I know I got PCOS, then I just fed up and keep eating, uncontrollable and did not have a good diet. Even when I feel very full, I just want to eat. It’s been 2 months, and I gained 4-5kg, then I just lost motivation to workout. When I went to jog/gym, I feel it’s like forcing myself to “submit the homework”. How do I adjust myself? Very frustrated on this kind of situation.
Hi Cassey, what can I do if exercise never feels good? You often talk about pushing yourself just to get started, and then once you do, it feels good and it helps to remember your “why” and get back into the groove. However I never get the point of feeling “good” when exercising. I’m not having pain or any signs that something is wrong, but after even just 5 minutes of gentle exercise, I feel like crap. I have no energy and my body just feels worse than when I started. I eat well, stay hydrated, and I have had all my hormones/thyroid/etc checked and found no issues. But nothing makes me feel good, so I just stay on the couch. I have been like this for years, even before I had kids (and having kids definitely made it worse). I don’t think I have ever felt any kind of joy in physical activities, so it’s really a struggle to find ANY kind of exercise that I can stick with longer than a week. Please help!
Dear Cassey,
I’ve been struggling to find breakfast, lunch, and snacks that I enjoy and it’s gotten so bad I basically just eat dinner now. I like sweets but it’s not good to eat all the time so now my body is used to eating dinner (usually chicken and rice) and maybe something small or a dessert after dinner. Over Covid I gained about 20 lbs and now I’m maintaining that weight gain. I feel like no matter if I’m active or not my weight stays the same. Is my low food intake a possible cause of not losing weight or is it more likely to be like my birth control or something?
Sincerely,
Picky eater
Dear Cassey,
Last year during the pandemic I started watching your videos and loved them. I did the daily calendar for a year and had so much fun! I saw so much growth in my body and my mental state. But this past March, I was diagnosed with an illness that left me unable to exercise for a long time. We spent a long time getting answers and I’m just now starting to work out again, but I feel like I lost all the progress I was so proud of and I feel embarrassed when I can’t do what I used to do. How can I overcome this feeling and just stay focused on the workout?
-Getting my life back
Dear Cassey,
I’m at a point where I feel that my fitness approach is no longer balanced. As a classic type A personality, I’m really drawn to your challenges and programs, but I fear I’m taking it too far. I’m so addicted to checking things off and accomplishing programs that I’m doing several at once and spending hours per day working out. I love doing it and find so much joy in this type of fitness, but it’s taking over my life and I’m losing time for other things like my hobbies and passions. I know you seem to be a fellow type A personality, so do you have any recommendations for how to find healthy balance when it comes to health/fitness? I know I need to change but I’m having trouble getting myself to do it. HALP!!
Sincerely,
Type A Gone Wrong
Dear Cassey,
So I gained weight again… it’s a constant pattern right when I’m about to reach my goal something happens and I’m back to square one. Then I don’t feel like eating healthy or even standing up. What should I do?
Also, my bipolar disorder influences my motivation, so my daily life is full with sudden mood changes and fatigue.
What can I do? Should I just give up? I’m tired Cassey. I want to accomplish so many things but it seems I’ll never happen.
– The Roller-coaster girl
Bipolar disorder can make reaching goals difficult, for sure. Cassey talks a lot about working on your mental health & how important it is to include in your overall fitness journey. Stabilising your mood swings and reducing your manic/depressive periods is important and could definitely help you become more consistent with working out. Julie Fast is an amazing author with bipolar disorder and has written many books to help others with it. Her instagram has helpful info as well. Her handle is @juliefast
Dear Cassy,
What exercises can you recommend to get rid of back fat?
Hey Cassey! I am currently trying to find my passion, and facing the hard realization that it’s not what I studied for, what I’m “supposed” to do, what my family expects of me. I find your story very inspiring, how you were “supposed” to become a doctor but you stayed true to yourself, followed your passion and became so successful and happy with your work. How did you do it? How did you overcome the negative thoughts, the anxiety and the overwhelming fear of letting everyone down? I’d love to hear your experience and any advice you would like to share.
Yours truly,
– Worried about the future
Dear Cassey,
I feel like nothing is working. I try and try when I work out and get No or worse results. And I don’t get what I’m doing wrong, I’ve tried Working out, I don’t take the scam shortcuts, and nothing works. I noticed this and started getting really mad. I pushed myself harder, worked out longer, and nothing makes a difference. I’m nearly crumbling under the weight of my own standards for myself even though I’m a completely healthy person it just seems that I’m never good enough.
Sincerely, Stubborn
Hello! I had surgery in August and took a few weeks off of working out since I was instructed not to lift anything more than 10 pounds. Then about a month after my surgery I caught covid and was lucky to recover about 2 weeks later. However, I was hesitant to work out for awhile. I felt my body still needed to recover from the surgery and from covid. It’s been about 3 months since my surgery and about a month since I recovered from covid. I would like to start working out again, but I know I have to start slow. I’m looking forward to starting the daily exercises on your calendar again, but not sure how to start. Can you suggest what’s the best way to get back into working out after having health issues?
I’m disabled and have to take things slow, and I started with her Beginner’s Calendar. You can find it here on her website or on her app. I still had to skip some videos/exercises, but it was much easier than trying to jump in with the Daily Calendar!
Dear Cassey, I hurt my knee from running the other day and it’s been a week now. Yesterday I went for a walk and it got worse. Wht can I do?
Thank you so much for thinking about being bored or needing a break for a time…. It’so true and I often feel to need a break for being more social especially in summer time. Now we have autumn and I just restarted getting back into fitness mood with you and looking for new strength in my body – and mind.
Lovely greets from Stuttgart/Germany,
Sanderella