8 Times You Should Repeat A Week In Your Sweat Program

While we love seeing the Sweat Community making progress towards their goals or adding on another week to their workout streak, we also know that sometimes, life just gets in the way. 

There are so many benefits of following a Sweat program from how your trainer has structured the weekly workouts to encouraging noticeable and sustainable results, but while your program might tick over to a new week at the stroke of midnight every Sunday, there’s really nothing stopping you from repeating the previous week (or taking your program back a few steps) if that’s what you need. 

Thinking about repeating a week in your program? Here are the eight times we’ll be giving you the green light to go ahead and wind back the clock on your program. 

Your workouts didn’t fit in with your schedule

We’re all about making your workout schedule work for you, and it’s totally normal to have days or weeks when the nature of your diary means you have to mix things up. When life gets hectic, you might find it’s easiest to switch  out the sessions in your program for quick workouts from the On Demand section, prioritise rest or active recovery, or spend more time moving your body outdoors. 

If you’re approaching Monday feeling like you didn’t give the previous week of your program the effort and commitment you wanted, you’re more than welcome to give it another go.

You’ve been on holiday 

Our number one tip for exercising while on vacation? Find what works for you. For some of us, a flop and drop holiday is exactly what we want while for others, staying active and incorporating movement into your itinerary is exactly what makes you feel your best. However much movement you’re doing, don’t worry if it means taking a break from your regular program. Make a note of where you’re up to and you can easily pick back up where you left off when you return. 

There are also plenty of ways to stay active on vacation that don’t involve a structured workout. This could be getting your step count up by exploring on foot, hiring a bike to explore the local surroundings or enjoying active adventures in the area such as snow sports, hiking, surfing or swimming. 

You’ve been sick 

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t sweat out a cold. When it comes to working out when you’re not feeling your best (if this is something you feel remotely up to doing!) the advice all comes down to your symptoms. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and American Lung Association if you're feeling unwell above the neck (we’re talking a sore throat, runny nose and tickly cough) you’re usually okay to exercise at a low to moderate intensity, which may mean you need to take a break from your go-to Sweat program. For symptoms below the neck (such as fever, fatigue, an upset stomach or chest congestion), it’s best to hit pause on your routine altogether and prioritise rest. 

You’re dealing with an injury 

One of the most disruptive, frustrating and painful fitness setbacks? Being injured.  How long you should pause your routine for - and when you should resume your regular training - really comes down to the severity and location of the injury. 

If you’re currently injured, our advice is to work with your healthcare provider or  physiotherapist (or a combination of the two!) to establish a return to fitness plan that will support your rehabilitation without exacerbating the problem. The road to recovery truly looks different for everyone, and giving your body plenty of rest and the opportunity to heal should be your number one priority.

You’re on your postpartum fitness journey 

If you’ve recently given birth and have clearance from your healthcare provider to start exercising again, it’s important to take a gradual approach by following a program that will help you to rebuild your strength and fitness while also focusing on some of the common concerns women face after pregnancy. Lucky for you, there are multiple post-pregnancy options in the Sweat app to choose from: Post-Pregnancy with Kayla, Post-Pregnancy with Sarah, PWR Post-Pregnancy and Post-Pregnancy Core & Restore with Britany. 

It’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as a perfect postpartum fitness journey. That’s why each of the weekly sessions in Sweat’s post-pregnancy programs are optional and we encourage you to take this time at your own pace. Want to repeat a week or even the whole program? That’s totally fine by us. 

You’ve modified your program

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we want to help you make your workouts work for you. Perhaps you only got through half of your weekly workouts but would still love to try the ones you missed.  Or maybe you’ve been travelling for work and had to take a bunch of equipment or exercise modifications. If you’ve modified a week of your program and feel like you’d be better off repeating it before moving ahead - go for it. 

You don’t feel ready to progress

We’ll always encourage you to take the next step in your fitness journey and challenge yourself with fresh workouts, heavier weights and more advanced movements, but at the end of the day: nobody knows your body better than you do. 

When it comes to setting the pace of your training, you’re the one calling the shots. And if you don’t feel ready to progress to the next week or training block in your program, that’s a decision that’s always going to be in your hands. 

You just weren’t feeling it

What’s one thing we’ll remind you of time and time again? To listen to your body. We know there will be times when you’re just not feeling it, and we’ve all been there. There are those times when your body definitely needs a break from our regular training, but there are also days or weeks when your mind just isn’t in it either. If this is one of those weeks for you then remember that next Monday is a fresh start and the perfect time for a do-over.

When do you repeat a week? 

At the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong reason to repeat a week of your program. Join in the conversation on the Sweat Forum and let us know why you’ve chosen to repeat a week.