Many of us don’t realize rest and recovery play a huge part in achieving our fitness goals. We need enough sleep for our brain and muscles to function properly and to give us energy for our daily tasks and workouts. Sometimes we think it’s all gas and no brakes, but really, we do need time to rest and recharge. Here are some ways to balance movement and regeneration.
- Have at least one rest day a week!
- I know this can be tough, especially if you love working out, but it’s important to have at least one day to rest. If you absolutely cannot rest, then make the workout a really light day or do some light cardio.
- Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a day.
- Everyone’s sleep needs are different, but 7-8 hours of sleep is ideal. If you can’t get enough sleep, then take a 30 minute nap. Just be sure not to nap too late or it may be hard to fall asleep.
- Mix heavy days with light days.
- I love a heavy lift day, but I also incorporate days where I focus on less weight and more reps. That way my muscles can recover. It’s also important to work strength (heavier weights with less reps) and endurance (lighter weights and more reps.)
- This also goes for cardio. If you’re running long distance one day, then you can do a shorter distance the next day. It’s good to balance both!
- Give muscles 48 hours of rest in between.
- For example, if I train legs on Monday, I’ll train them again on Wednesday. That way, we gives our muscles enough time to rest and recover so we can be stronger in our next workout. If you really want to work the same muscle group back to back days, then have one day be heavy and the other day lighter. You don’t want to over train your muscles and prevent them from growing.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Sometimes we’re so busy we forget to drink water. Staying hydrated helps our bodies function properly!
- Practice mindfulness.
- Meditation or doing breathing exercises can help relieve stress and keep us more calm and grounded. Training our bodies is great, but we must remember to take care of our minds too.
- Listen to your body.
- Our bodies are not machines. They need rest! If you’ve been feeling drained mentally and physically, it’s best to rest. The last thing we want is burnout.
- In severe cases of over-training, some people can get rhabdomyolysis which is when muscles are damaged or injured, and they begin to breakdown and release its contents into your bloodstream. This can cause kidney damage or other complications, and requires you to go to the hospital immediately.
Your can crush your workouts, but you need to rest too. Balance is key!
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