Not so Rest-ful Days

We’ve all heard the saying “A body in motion stays in motion”. Many times we hear this saying when applied to objects and physics. Did you ever think to apply it to your own fitness journey?

Have you noticed that many times it is harder to get started with your workout than to keep going once you’ve started? I have this battle with myself sometimes. I am low on motivation to even start my workout, but then once I’m going, I don’t want to stop. It’s all because my muscles are now working and my blood is pumping so my body systems are running and want to stay running.

I often hear people say “I”m not working out today, its my rest day” and then take full advantage of the term “rest” and don’t do much of anything all day. Those same people are the ones who struggle the most the next day to get up and get moving. They stopped their body’s movement and have to work harder now to get it going again.

The same goes for sore muscles and joints. Many times we push our bodies to the limit during a workout, but we don’t feel the muscle soreness until the next few days. Once that soreness kicks in, it is tempting to just lay down and not move until the soreness is gone. But that muscle soreness is caused by a buildup of lactic acid and further, less intense, movement can actually use up that lactic acid and help speed the recovery process.

It is very important to keep moving, even on rest days. However, the level of activity can be much different than your higher intensity days. Think of activities that are low intensity, calming, or “easy”. This can include walking, stretching, yoga, hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking and others. The goal on your rest day is to keep your muscles loose and keep your body moving, not to build strength or burn a ton of calories.

When staying active, even on your rest day, your body will thank you. It will be easier to jump start your next workout and it’ll also help you recover from any muscle soreness a lot quicker than if you lay down all day.

So get up and get moving, no matter what day it is and if you need help creating a balanced workout routine, reach out to me and I’ll be happy to help!