ShFIT Talk Episode #5

Rest Day vs Laziness

Too often our "day off" the gym quickly spirals into 2 days...a week...a month!!!

What is a rest day? It is recovery time built into your training program that allows your body to adapt to the stress of exercise, replenishing energy stores, and repairing damaged tissues.

As many of you know, muscle soreness really kicks in 2 days after working out. Research suggests a minimum of 48 - 72 hours of rest to optimally allow recovery and prevent injury.

Rest days are essential and should be part of your routine every three to five days. However, you can still have an active recovery by participating in a light workout, like gentle yoga.

Remember, exercise recovery, although different from a rest day, is just as important. It involves actions carried out immediately after exercise, such as stretching and warming down. It also involves your drinking and eating patterns.

Recovery, as we know, can often slip into laziness. Some of the main causes of laziness are:

• Procrastination

• Distraction

• Poor lifestyle choices

• Exhaustion

• Indecisiveness

• Poor nutrition

• Lack of motivation

• Lack of self worth

• Irresponsibility

• Too much to do

Just because you may have fallen from rest to laziness, there are still ways to help you get back on your fitness routine.

• Figure out the real issue

• Get organized

• Value yourself

• Create a time table

We all have good and bad days, but remember fitness is a journey with many twists and turns. Don't beat yourself up for the past choices, just achieve your goals going forward.