What I learned from my "Rest Week"...

I pulled a muscle in my back shoveling snow over a week ago, didn't rest right away, and it got worse. It got so bad I couldn't exercise, so I rested a couple days, then decided to call the Chiro. She told me to rest until I saw her next - a week after first seeing her.

For someone who LOVES working out, the words "No exercise for a week" were something I dreaded hearing. But, even though it's what I needed to heal my back, I didn't realize at the time that i really NEEDED a week off from exercise. For someone who does one program, then the next, then the next - and even dreads rest DAYS, I found a new love for rest WEEKS. And here's why...

The continuous exercise we do day in and day out ISN'T what gets us the results we are striving for. It's the rest inbetween those workouts that do it for us. As mentioned in this Huffington Post article, "The truth about recovery is that you never really recover. What we really do in hard workouts is apply a stimulus that elevates our heart rate, breaks down muscle fibers, causes the adrenal glands to secrete the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol and generally tells our body that the status quo won't cut it anymore. The "getting fitter" part -- the body's response to that stimulus -- comes afterwards."

So basically, all the hard work you put in at the gym or out running or swimming or training or whatever it is you are doing, is great, but if you don't rest afterwards you aren't giving your body a chance to repair any tissue damage, strengthen the heart and other muscles, or making itself more efficient than before. Then the next day, we go do it again. Since the body doesn't grow stronger or build endurance WHILE you're exercising, you really need the period after your workout for rest so your body can make those important changes. It's vital.

Another article mentions that your fitness can even "plateau or decline if you continue to push yourself without recovery." How many of you reading this have hit a plateau in your weight, so you start working our harder and longer? And it still doesn't help? Try resting :) Another reason could be that you aren't eating enough - but I'll save that for another blog ;)

So even though resting is great, and our body needs it to be its best, that doesn't mean you spend your rest day or rest week on the couch eating junk food. No, sorry, that's not gonna fly. ;) It means you walk instead of rest, stretch instead of hardcore cardio moves, and stick to your healthy lifestyle. Rest days do not equal Cheat days. :) Just wanted to make that clear!

This recovery week is just what I needed, and now that I've read up on it, experienced it and know more about it, I plan on incorporating recovery weeks into my schedule. I feel new again, i feel refreshed and i am FULL of energy to get back to a routine! :)