“The More You Know” Thursday: Rest & Recovery

Happy Thursday all!

The work-week is almost over, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been a long week, and I am looking forward to some quality time with my new running shoes (Saucony Kinvara 2′s) this weekend!

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But today I wanted to talk to you guys about the importance of rest and allowing your body the time to recover. Seems like a weird thing to say after I just publicly admitted I would not be resting this weekend!

If you read my personal blog at all, you already know that in my opinion (which of course must be right, right?) I’ve already gotten enough rest this month!

I had LASIK surgery on January 5th, which meant I couldn’t workout for 6 days… and had to wear these sexy goggles to bed for a week…

After my mandated 6-day exercise hiatus, I tried to jump back into the game too quickly and my body responded in kind – lightheaded, dizzy, blackness in front of my eyes – I can take a hint when it’s as blatant as nearly passing out.

Then I was sidelined with a foot injury that took me out of the game for a few more days…

Thankfully it was nothing too serious, and the doctor cleared me to run, as long as I ice and take an anti-inflammatory afterward… and buy new running shoes (the beauties pictured above!).

But these setbacks got me thinking about the importance of rest and recovery in a training regimen. I don’t know about you guys, but I have a tendency to get carried away with my workout routine, and I sometimes feel GUILTY when I take a day off – even if it’s scheduled!

But the truth is, NOT taking a day off can actually work AGAINST you! Your body needs rest in order for muscles to rebuild and strengthen.

Recovery allows the body to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues. Exercise or any other physical work causes changes in the body such as muscle tissue breakdown and the depletion of energy stores (muscle glycogen) as well as fluid loss.

Recovery time allows these stores to be replenished and allows tissue repair to occur. Without sufficient time to repair and replenish, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise. source

Continue to break down!?  I know, it seems counter-intuitive, but it’s true!

If you are constantly training, and not allowing yourself sufficient rest/recovery time, you could actually be doing damage to your body! Over-training can lead to injury, trouble sleeping, feeling cranky, not hitting workout targets (heart rate, speed), and just generally feeling off for an extended period of time (source)!

So how can you make sure you’re allowing yourself adequate rest/recovery time in your workout regimen?

• Make sure you are resting at least 1 day in between higher intensity workout days. That doesn’t mean you can’t do ANYTHING, but take it down a notch or two. Go for a walk or a jog at a conversational pace.

• If you feel like you are not meeting your goals with regards to your performance, it could be a sign that your body needs more rest. Take a few days to recover, and pay attention to any new pains or aches that may surface.

• SLEEP. Nothing helps you recover from a good workout like proper nutrition and a good night’s rest. For most adults, 6-8 hours of sleep is ideal.

These are a few pointers, I’m sure there are more out there – care to share your tips and tricks for rest and recovery? Feel free to share them in the comment section below!