We all have those days where we just don’t have enough gas in the tank for longer workouts. Especially when you’ve had a exhausting day at work, been taking care of kids, or running lots of essential errands.

On these low-energy days, the hardest part isn’t necessarily the workouts. It’s the decision fatigue of choosing what you feel up for. The good news is I’ve done some workout stack curation for you.

The active recovery stack (15-20 minutes)

When I’m feeling physically sore but mentally restless, I find a 10-minute Slow Flow Yoga and a 5 to 10-minute Mindful Cooldown to be helpful. This gets the blood moving in your body without spiking your heart rate. It also helps you stretch those aching muscles and feel more relaxed.

The desktop detox stack (10-15 minutes)

After sitting at a desk for most of the day, loosening up your upper body and core can help me feel less stiff and cranky. Doing 10 minutes of Pilates, with a focus on core, and 5 minutes of upper body mobility are perfect for unlocking that stiffness.

Some ideas for upper body mobility include:

• Cat-Cow: On hands and knees, alternate between arching and rounding the back to mobilize the spine.
• Thoracic Rotation: In a kneeling position, place one hand on the head and rotate the elbow toward the opposite knee, then open up toward the ceiling.
• Thread the Needle: From a kneeling position, slide one arm under the opposite armpit to stretch the shoulder blades and thoracic spine.
• Shoulder CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations): Slowly circle arms to improve joint health, doing 8-10 reps in both directions.
• Wall Slides: Stand with back and arms against a wall, slowly sliding arms up to overhead to engage shoulder stabilizers.
• Chest Opener: Interlock fingers behind the back, pulling arms down and lifting the chest.
• Child’s Pose: Kneel and reach arms forward on the floor to stretch the lats and shoulders.

The mood booster stack (20 minutes)

When you’re not feeling tired, but just blah and unmotivated, doing workouts to boost your mood can work wonders. I tend to go for 10 minutes of cardio like HIIT (High Intensity Interval training), indoor cycling, running or walking. Then I do a 10 minute energetic yoga flow to get some stretches and mobility in.

The short burst of cardio helps to release endorphins without requiring a longer commitment. The mobility helps you unwind from the cardio and let your heart rate lower again to give you a sesne of calm.

The “no change” rule

The cool thing about these combos is you don’t really need to change into full workout gear. Yoga and mobility can be done in sweats. This means there’s one less thing to demotivate you from getting the short and sweet workouts done. If the thought of putting on spandex is what’s stopping you, stay in your pajamas. These stacks are about movement, not a fashion show.

Making use of the stacking feature in Apple Fitness+

To build your stack, just tap the plus icon on any workout in the Fitness+ app, and they’ll be waiting for you in the Library tab under Stacks. See the demo in the GIF below for a more visual aid.

The stack feature on Apple Fitness+ means you can plan out you low energy workouts without having to find each one. This means your motivation can’t be easily derailed and you can transition from one workout to the next with ease. This is handy for any other days where you want to stack workouts too.

All of this ties back to remembering that consistency beats intensity. Doing 10-minute low energy combos keep your habit alive for the days when you do have plenty of gas in the tank.

Disclaimer: While I am an avid Apple Fitness + user, I am not endorsed or paid by them to mention their product. I am also not paid to promote any of the products mentioned in this blog. I’m simply using my experience to help others learn and grow.