Dealing With Setbacks in Exercise

Setbacks are a normal part of daily life. They can come up when we least expect it. Heading towards your goal and then all of a sudden, you hit a wall (metaphorically speaking), and it feels like all that hard work goes out of the window. Does this sound like you? Then this blog post is the one to read. In this blog, I am going to highlight my top 5 exercise-related setbacks that can occur and my top tips for dealing with those setbacks, which you can incorporate into your daily lives to help make difficult situations more manageable.

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What are Setbacks?

A setback is an unexpected situation or event that occurs that delays or hinders your progress towards your goal (s). Due to them being unexpected, it can have a massive negative impact on our mental health as we weren't prepared (I.e. One moment you are fine, then the next minute, you feel like you have gone backwards). For example, getting an injury (new or previous), being unmotivated or burnt out as well as life changes (i.e. change in work schedule). However, just because you have or are experiencing a setback doesn't mean that you are a failure. They are temporary obstacles that you will need to overcome. We all face these obstacles, but the key is how you respond to those setbacks that will determine which side you end up at.

Below, I have highlighted 5 of the main exercise-related setbacks that could occur and the strategies that could be used in order to manage and deal with those setbacks. This list is not exhaustive, but gives an overview of how you can go about conquering those setbacks.

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Top 5 Exercise-Related Setbacks and Solutions

1) Injury

Problem - This is probably one of the most common setbacks that can happen in exercise, and the one that can have the most impact on our mental health. For example, you sprain your knee or you get plantar fasciitis. Whatever it is, it causes you pain and reduces your ability to exercise.

Solutions - With any type of injury, it is important to rest and follow medical advice because any extra strain could cause further damage, which means more time out of exercise (Believe me you don't want that!). If you have been cleared to do so, perform low-impact exercise such as swimming or cross training to help keep your fitness up while giving the affected area time to rest and rebuild. Why not focus on your mobility and core strength? Just because you can't go for a run or cycle, it doesn't mean you can't work on those all important areas of exercise that will actually benefit you in the long-term, when you are able to return back to exercise.

2) Illness and Fatigue

Problem - Similar to injuries, there might be times of the year when we get ill or become too tired to take part in exercise. For example, you might catch a cold or feel really tired due to overtraining. Whatever it might be, this can set us back and impact our ability to exercise.

Solutions - Whenever you do feel under the weather, it is important to rest and recover. Sometimes trying to push through it can make us feel worse. Think about it this way: would you rather take 2 to 3 full days off to recover and get back to exercise sooner, or try to push through and potentially push back the time you return to exercise? Once you feel a little better (after enough rest), you can start to ease back into your routine with lighter and shorter workouts. Doing this will allow you to not overdo it straight away and to ease your body nicely back into a regular routine (I.e. Avoiding getting injured which is another bonus!). But the most important factor is to listen to your body. Trust me that your body will tell you when you need to rest and it is key that you listen to it unless you want to get injured!

3) Loss of Motivation

Problem - Although not commonly known as a setback, losing motivation to exercise can count as a setback. This could mean that anything that used to excite you, no longer gives you that feeling. If not addressed, it could lead to not exercising altogether, which isn't good in the long-term.

Solutions - There are lots of strategies you can use in order to increase your motivation levels. One of these includes trying something new. Sometimes doing a new activity can spark excitement and it might actually become a new hobby! It might be as simple as setting yourself a new goal to work towards before you go back to your original goal. Or you might need to change your environment. Sometimes exercising in the same environment every time or most of the time can be quite boring, so switching it up can make exercise more exciting.

4) Hitting a Plateau

Problem - Have you ever got to a point in your training where you were progressing really well, but then all of a sudden, you hit a plateau and don't seem to progress any further? This is completely normal. For example, not getting any faster with your running.

Solutions - In order to see results with your training, it needs to be varied. A varied exercise routine helps to provide consistency as well as gives your body a variety of opportunities to adapt to your training. Ask yourself: am I varying the workouts I do (i.e. running, strength, plyometrics etc) or am I doing the same types of workouts all the time? If your answer is no, it might be worth re-evaluating your current training to try and vary the workouts you do. (Not sure where to start? I offer personal training and group fitness classes to help give you more variety with your exercise routine). It might also be worth re-evaluating your nutrition and recovery to see if these factors might be the reason why you have hit a plateau. You can even look at tracking your training a different way, such as tracking your energy levels instead of how many repetitions of a squat you can perform.

5) Life

Problem - Simply put, lots of life events can get in the way of us getting into a consistent exercise routine. For example, a busy work schedule or an emergency which stops you in your tracks to exercise.

Solutions - The most important thing to remember is to be kind to yourself. It is easy to be hard on yourself and beat yourself up because you are unable to do a workout. It happens and it's normal. You can always scale down your training, such as doing 10 to 15 minutes instead of 30 minutes or doing a workout at home instead of traveling to a gym. Another strategy is to focus on consistency rather than intensity. It is going to be better for your health being able to keep a consistent routine (both for your mental and physical health), rather than picking random days during the week (although sometimes this can be unavoidable). The best way to work around this is by writing out a rough plan of your week (if it changes each week, try to put the main elements that are usually the same each week - it's only a rough plan), and look for gaps where you could potentially fit in a workout (e.g. before work, after work, during your lunch break - as long as you have enough time to eat!).

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Summary

In this blog post, I have highlighted what a setback is and my top 5 exercise-related setbacks that can occur along with solutions of how to deal with each one. The information within this blog is valuable in helping you to manage any setbacks that might occur, whether that is within exercise or as part of your daily lives. Although the list above is not exhaustive, they help to give an overview of how you can go about conquering those setbacks. What are the most common setbacks that you are currently facing? What strategies are you going to put in place in order to manage those setbacks?

If you are unsure of how to manage any setbacks or you need help with where to go with your training, send me an email on bgcsportsandfitness@outlook.com. If you quote the word "SETBACK", I will provide you with some advice to help you manage the setbacks you are currently facing.

Beth

Fitness and Running Coach

BGC Sports and Fitness

April 30th 2025