Rest & Recovery

I know I have been sharing alot of workouts this week and giving you plenty of options to choose from.  Having diversity is nice in a workout routine.  Something that is just as equally as important as your workouts is having 1-2 days a week of rest & recovery.

Just because you take a rest & recovery day doesn't mean you have to be off completely either.  Doing 20 to 30 minutes below 60% of your max heart rate would be OK.  Simple things like playing with your children, taking the dog for a walk, rollerblading or playing a game of bowling on the Wii could count as that 20 -30 minutes of light exercise.

Here are some reasons why taking a rest day is good:

• Your muscles grow when you rest which helps in building mass
• Overtraining can cause a weight-loss plateau
• Overtraining often leads to physical burnout
• Gives you some free time to spend with family or friends
• Allows adaptations to conditioning exercises (cardio) & strength training (lifting)
• Restocks glycogen stores
• Reduces fatigue
• Helps prevent overuse injuries
• Prevents mental burnout
• Can lower stress
• Boosts brain function

One Type of Rest That is Very Important: Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important forms of rest and provides time for the body to adapt to the physical and mental demands of training.

• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep (8 hours per night is a good guideline)

• Ensure your sleep is good quality, make sure the room is dark, quiet and peaceful.

Passive resting such as reading and listening to music are great ways for the body to relax, both physically and mentally.

 

Enjoy your rest & recovery day so you can get back at your training with a fresh body and mind!

 

peace & love

bj