Ruba Ali: “Changing My Approach To Fitness Helped Cure My Burnout”

Over the last few years, Sweat trainer Ruba Ali has completely overhauled her relationship with exercise, transforming her fitness philosophy and bouncing back from the burnout that prompted her break from the fitness industry in the process. 

Shifting her approach from a strict training regime to the flexible, feel-good style you can try for yourself in her Thrive program, Ruba now prioritises progress over perfection, steering clear of the habits and self-limiting beliefs that contributed to her burnout. 

Today, she wants to encourage women everywhere to embrace a holistic routine that allows you to feel your very best in mind, body and soul. 

“When you feel like you have to work out, you either have to change your mindset or change your program,” Ruba shares. “Oftentimes we forget that we get to work out. Our health is a privilege to take care of - one that a lot of people don’t have.”

So what should you do if you’re feeling burnt out with your current routine, are guilty of overtraining or want to shift your mindset and develop a more positive relationship with fitness? 

When you’re dreading getting into your activewear, feel anxious heading to the gym or are simply not looking forward to your workouts, Ruba says this can be a pretty clear sign that your current routine is unsustainable - and that it’s time to make a change. 

“I felt drained, exhausted and unpassionate,” she says of her own experience with burning out from overtraining. 

“I think I was just so burnt out with that routine and I’m so competitive with myself that it just took the fun out of my training. It just became very rigid, boring and exhausting. I didn’t feel like me.”

Here are her top tips for making your workouts a feel-good part of your day - because fitness should fit into your life, not take over it. 

Spend time outdoors 

When Ruba embraced functional training with minimal equipment, her change in routine also led her to spend more time exercising outdoors.  Now, her walks amongst nature are a pillar of her routine, and a feel-good habit she wants everyone following her programs to adopt. 

“Usually one day I’ll go to the gym and then spend the second day in nature,” she says of her routine today. “Nature is really important for us and I like to mix indoor and outdoor workouts.”

Embrace flexibility 

While her old routine was quite rigid, today Ruba is all about flexibility and being led by how she’s feeling. While she still follows a program, being able to mix it up with how, when and where she works out is so important to her and something that energises her in body and mind.

Prioritise emotional wellbeing 

“I design my programs now to include my emotional wellbeing in there,” explains Ruba. “i’ve learned that the most sustainable way to achieve your goals is to follow a very simple and balanced approach that looks after your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. I think I’ve finally gotten to a place where I’ve created that routine for myself and hopefully for others.”

She encourages women to find time to do things for their mind, whether that’s reading a book, meditation or listening to a podcast. Finding time for faith and her connection with her creator is equally important to Ruba, and she encourages you to connect with your own spirituality - however that looks. Perhaps it’s through prayer, or perhaps it’s about community connection and spending time with family and friends. 

Shift your mindset 

There was a time for Ruba where fitness was her whole life, to the point where her routine felt intense, unsustainable and was negatively impacting her health. 

“Fitness was my passion, my me-time, and because it was also my profession, it quickly turned into something I lost passion for because it was just too much - my whole day revolved around it,” she explains. 

Today, fitness is simply one aspect of her multi-faceted life, and this shift has helped her feel more fulfilled, grounded and connected. 

Make rest a non-negotiable 

“I didn’t believe in rest and recovery,” Ruba says of her old routine. “Now I incorporate not just one, but multiple rest days, days focused on mindfulness, I try not to have rushed mornings, and just listen to my body. It’s worked wonders.” 

She explains that sometimes, doing less in the gym and more in terms of rest and recovery will actually support you to enjoy your workouts more, perform better and find a balanced approach. 

“If you’re fatigued every single day of course you’re not going to enjoy working out. When you have the right health and fitness philosophy, you won’t feel guilty for resting.”

It’s time to Thrive 

Ready for a program that helps you make fitness a feel-good part of your routine as you step into the strongest, most energised version of you? Thrive with Ruba Ali is available exclusively in the Sweat app.