Thursday, May 26, 2016

Need a little R.E.S.T!!!

I hate being injured.

I literally can’t stand it. So much that sometimes, ok maybe almost all the time, I will push myself to do something that I know isn't a good idea and I end up prolonging the injury.

This past week, I have had to rest due to a lower back injury. I taught my cardio kickboxing class Monday night, but since then, I have not lifted or done any cardio. I knew I needed a minimum of 5 full rest days. This time, instead of pushing myself too hard or going crazy because I was limited as far as my physical activity, I decided to look at rest in a new way. This acronym really helped me this week and hopefully, it will help you when you find yourself having to REST!

R- Relax!
We live in a world where our norm is to wake up, go and never stop until you have to sleep again. During your forced rest period, set aside time to pause from the crazy norm and appreciate all you have! IF you are like me, all of a sudden you have an extra 60 minutes in your day that you would have spent at the gym. Take at least 30 minutes of that hour to chill out, read a book, call a friend, listen to new music or just sit and be thankful. Its amazing how taking 30 minutes to unwind can take you from feeling tense and uptight to loose and appreciative!

E- Eat well
Many times, when people take time off the gym, they find themselves taking a pause on healthy eating choices too! Don’t fall victim to the extra pounds that creep on when your eating habits fall apart. Instead of thinking, “I can’t workout so why do anything else?” you should be telling yourself this- “I may not be able to do my workouts but I’m going to do everything else that I can do to the best of my ability.” Staying consistent with your good eating habits will not only have you feeling great during your activity break, it will also keep you looking great until you are able to go back to regular workout schedule.

S- Stay POSITIVE!
With rest periods due to injury lasting for a week or more, you may have some days when you feel like you will never be back to normal again!! This is when you have to tell yourself (with a smile on your face) that this is temporary, and if you rest (and follow Dr.’s orders if you have any) you will heal and be better than before. Half of the injury is dealing with your thoughts. When your thoughts head towards the negative side, remind yourself that this to will pass and that your amazing body will be back to normal with time.

T- Test
When your prescribed rest is complete, get back in the gym for a “test” day. Usually, I like to do some type of full body circuit training workout with lighter weight. This allows me to get a great workout in while checking to make sure that I can complete a variety of movements without pain. If your test day doesn’t go so well and you feel like you need more rest, that’s OK! Just be sure to plan a date for your next test day and go for it again.
Following this new way of looking at rest should help you to stay on track, stay positive and continue to be the best you ever!!!

Until next time…

2 comments:

  1. excellent advice to get through those times- I recently cracked a rib surfing and the relax and go with it is so important...you WILL be back. Also returning slow and testing is crucial. You DON'T want to be out again!

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  2. Typically, there will be the perfect equipment on hand for pretty much all of your body. You will be able to lift dumbbells for your biceps and your triceps. You can use the bench to work on your chest. Skinny2fit

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