"If I miss a day, it's a disaster"- When Michael Phelps shared how skipping a workout session led to ‘negative pattern of thinking’ during COVID-19

Michael Phelps once opened up about how the COVID-19 days were some of the most challenging for his mental health. He even shared how missing a workout session at the gym resulted in developing a 'negative pattern of thinking' during those days.

During an ESPN interview in May 2020, Phelps was questioned on how he managed and maintained control over his mental health challenges. Reacting to the question, he stated:

“For me, I have to get in the gym every day for at least 90 minutes. It's the first thing I do. I wake up between 5:15 and 7, no alarm, just whenever I roll over. If it's 7, I'll feed the boys and get them situated, but if it's earlier, I just escape to the gym. And look, there are days that I don't want to be there. But I force myself to do it. I know it's for my mental health as much as my physical health.”

However, he went on to explain that skipping a session had a significantly negative impact, which was hard to overcome. Michael Phelps also shared the effects it had on him.

“If I miss a day, it's a disaster. Then I get into a negative pattern of thinking in my own head. And when that happens, I'm the only one who can stop it. And it typically doesn't stop very fast. I'll just drag it out, almost to punish myself in a way,” he further mentioned.

Now retired and the most decorated Olympian of all time with 23 golds (and 28 medals), the 39-year-old once spoke about his commitment to the sport by participating in events as a commentator or spectator, even after his retirement.

When Michael Phelps reflected on his continued involvement in swimming competitions after retirement

Michael Phelps at Rio Olympics 2016. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Michael Phelps once opened up about his active involvement in the sport despite retiring from the sport in 2016. During a virtual appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show in July 2024, he spoke about how he tried his best to attend swimming competitions whenever he could.

“Whenever I'm able to come to meets, I try to come to meets, and I took my family, well, my wife and I went to the World Championships last year. I went to the Olympic Trials this year. I covered some, I'll be covering some with NBC over in Paris. So for me, I enjoy being around the sport. This is a sport that I'm still passionate about and I still want to grow,” he mentioned [4:59 onwards].

He further discussed in the interview how he was initially concerned about the progress of the team, but the U.S. Olympic Trials and the swimmers' performances over the previous two to three years made him believe they were ready for upcoming events.

Although Michael Phelps later expressed dissatisfaction with the USA's swimming results at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the team still finished ahead of Australia in the overall medal tally. The USA collected 28 medals, including 8 gold, 13 silver, and 7 bronze medals, while Australia came second with 7 gold, 8 silver and 3 silver.