Cutting yourself slack while still maintaining discipline

[halftruths]

Things on my end have been crazy the past couple of months, and for the past couple of weeks in particular. Due to the exhaustion this has induced, I've needed to be a bit kinder on myself and allow a few skipped workout sessions (body and brain said NO on a couple of my usual workout nights). I'm not worried about not getting back in the saddle, but by the same token I also know that I can't let myself slide into complete indolence. So for the past couple of weeks I have missed a few karate classes - which I will admit was involuntary due to the rush to get our condo prepped for sale and then related real estate crap - and have cut back to two workouts a week (one at the gym, one at home). Usually, I have two 2-hour classes a week, and three at-home or gym workouts. This week I ended up doing one karate class and one gym workout. I know that a more relaxed schedule like this can help me let my brain and body get back on track while still making it easy to slide into my usual routine once I've taken it easy for a few weeks. Easing back to two good, hard physical activity sessions during a recovery phase lets me take the break I need while still maintaining my fitness habits and self-discipline.

So, fellow rebels, how much slack can/will you cut yourself while still maintaining your good workout habits? What is the minimum amount of dedicated fitness activity you can ease back to during a recovery period while still being able to slide right back into your regular routine?

[67alecto]

mental burnout is more common than physical. Most programs build downtime in ... I took a weeks off after a 12 week program, for example.