It’s ok to rest!
Repeat after me – “My body will only get better when I respect the importance of recovery”
You kicked off the new year with a sense of excitement, big goals and LOTS of motivation!!
You have been so committed to what you want to achieve so you have really thrown your all at it -
Training every day of the week
Pushing through one tough session after another (even when you’re muscles are aching)
Avoiding rest days in case you lose strength/fitness/motivation
But you’re a few weeks in now, and you’re…..
Not seeing the results you expect from such efforts
You are seeing little or no improvements in your strength, fitness or body shape
You’re LOSING motivation, you’re tired, you’re overwhelmed and you just want to throw in the towel - “What’s the point?!” I hear you say!
Any of this sound familiar?
Don’t worry - if you are a few weeks in to your new workout routine and you have found yourself losing your mo-jo, let me help you with these simple tips.
Start Slowly - As tempting as it is to workout every single day, trust me when I say starting small and gradually building up the days and time that you work out will lead to more consistency, less risk of injury, less mental/schedule overwhelm, increased recovery and over all better outcomes (remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint!)
If you are just starting back to exercise, instead of throwing yourself in to 5 gym sessions a week, try walking every day for a week or two. Then, add in one to two 20-30 minute workouts per week. After a few weeks you might extend the time of these workouts, or add another session, depending on your schedule.
Make a Recovery Plan - Sometimes we can be so excited to just get moving that we forget to plan how we are actually going to help our body recover and get stronger in the midst of it all! What you might not know is that you do not improve on the days that you train, but rather on what you do to recover in between!
Training is a stressor on the body. (Don’t worry, not all stress is bad! Our muscles need to be stressed in order to grow!) But add to this all the other daily stresses we may be under at home or at work (a busy job or hectic days with the kids, broken sleep, mental overload)
Without adequate recovery techniques, you risk disrupting the bodies normal hormonal responses which can lead to reduced performance, poor immunity, injury and even weight gain!
Making a recovery plan may include -
Taking rest days between workouts
Getting enough sleep each night, or if you have a beautiful little smallie who likes to party at night, try to match the intensity of your workouts with the amount of sleep you are getting (don’t worry, it won’t be forever!)
Eat nourishing food to fuel and repair your body - protein for muscle repair, carbohydrates for energy and healthy fats to help reduce inflamation in the body (very important when exercising) as well as keeping your hormones happy!
Buddy Up - Your fitness journey is so much more fun when surrounded by others who are in the same frame of mind as you right?! These are the kind of friends who encourage you to keep going when your own motivation has left the room temporarily (it happens to us all!)
Whether it’s attending a class, getting a walking buddy, joining a club or becoming part of a supportive community like the Beyond Fitness Online Community, finding your tribe can add longevity and FUN to what you want to ultimately be a way of life for you!
So yes, this is me saying that sometimes less is more! Be wary of overtraining without backing it up with an adequate recovery plan.
Whether you are returning to exercise after welcoming your beautiful baby or exercising for the first time, training for your first Couch to 5km or you are a veteran ultra runner, a professional athlete or recreational exerciser – ensuring that you factor recovery into your training plan will mean that you will dramatically reducing your risk of illness, injury (and eventually burnout and lack of motivation!) and allow you to reap all the rewards of your hard work and above all enjoy this new lifestyle that you are creating!
That’s your cue ladies to put on the kettle and put your feet up for a while, coaches orders!!!
P.s New Mums - if you have welomed your beautiful baby and want to know how to return to exercise safely and effectively, make sure to download my FREE “Beyond the Bump - Return To Exercise Guidelines and Post-Partum Checklist”