Don’t Let Quiet Quitting Come For Your Workouts

In any realm of life - work, study, fitness, relationships, spirituality, the list goes on - it’s easy to feel like even if you’re not putting in 110%, it ain’t enough. For many of us, consistently going above and beyond can lead to burnout and a sense of frustration. Enter: the quiet quitting phenomenon.

Over the last year, the concept of quiet quitting has slowly infiltrated the modern workplace. According to Harvard Business Review, it refers to opting out of tasks beyond your assigned duties and can also involve becoming less psychologically invested in your work. When people talk about quiet quitting, they’re not talking about handing in a resignation with a tiny whisper to your boss, but simply doing the bare minimum and putting in no more time, effort or energy than absolutely necessary.

This phenomenon has become more widespread following the Covid-19 pandemic, as many workers experienced burnout, while others readjusted their priorities or became more detached from their work. In fact, global analytics firm Gallup has estimated “quiet quitters” now make up at least 50% of the US workforce. 

While your commitment to your day job is your prerogative, we like to think it becomes our business if quiet quitting starts to impact your workouts.

If this attitude is starting to creep into your professional life (or already did a long time ago), you don’t want that energy to start encroaching on parts of your life like your fitness routine and personal relationships. The last thing we want is for you to be walking out of your workout with 10 minutes remaining on the clock or giving 20% of your effort when you know you’ve got a whole lot more in the tank.

When quiet quitting comes for your workouts it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not exercising at all, but that your attitude towards your training has taken a shift for the worst. Sounding familiar? Here are some of the most common feelings and what we suggest to inject some zest back into your relationship with fitness.

You’re not sure what the point is anymore

No one’s fitness journey is linear and experiencing dips in motivation is completely normal, but losing sight of the point altogether? It might be time to reassess where you’re going and what you want to get out of your workouts.

Whether you set aside some time to think about it, jot down some notes in your phone or whip out your journal and pen, it can help to reflect on why you started, what usually keeps you going, how fitness adds value to your life and what your goals are.

If you’re feeling directionless, some or all of these elements might have changed and some reflection could be exactly what you need to start afresh. A few years ago, the aim of the game might have been getting fit, but now it’s to feel good and boost your mental wellbeing. Give yourself permission for your source of motivation to change as you do.

You’re no longer getting any joy out of exercise

Some workouts feel like a slog or those post-workout endorphins just don’t hit the same and that’s okay, but you need to be getting some level of enjoyment from your exercise routine for it to be sustainable and worthwhile. We wouldn’t expect anyone to stick to a workout schedule they dreaded.

When all the funk has been zapped from fitness, why not try something new?

This could be by mixing up your training style or trainer, exercising at a different time of day or in a new location, breaking your workouts up into smaller exercise snacks, spicing up your workout playlist, or finding someone to work out with.

Pay attention to what leaves you feeling the most energised and uplifted before, during and after each session and do more of that.

You’re not seeing results

People tend to quiet quit their jobs when they realise they have been going above and beyond without seeing any reward or recognition, so it’s understandable if you’re having the same experience when it comes to your training.

We suggest asking yourself three questions:

• What results do you want and in what timeframe? 

• Are these plans realistic and will they be genuinely fulfilling for you? It may help to remind yourself how long fitness progress really takes and all the different ways in which you can measure progress.

• If your plans are both realistic and meaningful to you, are you taking action and having patience? Seeing change requires both! 

If you’ve been following a consistent workout routine and are experiencing a plateau, consider new ways you could take your training to the next level, such as lifting heavier weights, a higher volume of reps or reducing your rest periods. 

Feeling fatigued in every workout? Forget taking things up a notch. Your best bet is to focus on enjoying more rest to allow your body to properly recover and rebuild - chances are, you’ll come back even stronger.

You’re burnt out and just can’t be bothered anymore

When you’re really running on empty, give yourself some compassion and grace. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - fitness isn’t for a month or a season, it’s for life. Overtraining is a real thing and can happen for a variety of reasons, and it’s not something to just grit your teeth and push through. Your body is asking for rest and it’s in your best interests to do exactly that. 

Take time to recharge, reset your goals or rethink your entire fitness schedule. If you need to take a week off, your Sweat program will be ready right where you left off, or you can change your program at any time.

If quiet quitting is coming for your day job, we’re not sure if we can help you there, but we sure don’t want it to come for your workouts.