Why It's Okay To Take It Easy Sometimes

In today’s fast paced society many of us spend the better part of our days running in a high stress low rest state of being. Trying to pack in as much work as possible each and everyday because for some reason we seem to think that it’ll help us in the long run. The truth of the matter is that good quality rest is what makes you stronger. It’s not about how hard or fast you go but how quickly you are able to recover that really matter. Our bodies heal when we sleep. Rest plays such an important role not only in your physical health but also mental.

For example, sleep is involved in healing and repairing of your heart and blood vessels as well as quality body performance such as strength training. Trying to perform a high quality training session when you’re feeling over worked, under rested and stressed to the max…. sounds like an injury waiting for you around the corner.
During a high intensity strength or metabolic training session you challenge the body’s cardiovascular and muscular systems which cause micro tears within the muscle fibres, that also increases blood flow to the heart which makes the heart pump harder and faster. Without adequate rest, the body has a tough time keeping up and cannot regenerate well causing injuries, training plateaus and eventually burnout and at times having a reverse effect of feeling weak.
A burnout is the result of giving the body more work/stress than it is able to handle, not giving it the necessary rest it requires to recuperate. Constant feeling of fatigue from lack of sleep, muscle soreness among joint aches and pains, as well as catching colds often are just a few symptoms you experience during a burnout phase.
If you share some of these symptoms, then it’s possible you may just need a little extra rest that’s all. Remember, all you have to do sometimes is simply just listen to your body and really understand how you feel overall. It’s all about keeping things simple and not over doing too much of anything so the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with too many things at once just think: Eat well, train effectively consistently, stay hydrated, and keep up on your Zzzzzz!