Rest Day Blog - by coach TJ
When To NOT Come To The Gym
For many of us, our time spent at 306 is our “get away”. Time to forget about the day to day rigours and just move. We get to socialize and catch up with our friends in the community and spend time making ourself better. However, sometimes “more” time in the gym will not make us better.
For many of us, the idea of a “rest day” is a bummer. We don’t get that time with our friends. We don’t get our escape. We don’t get our endorphin rush from laying on the floor exhaust after a good workout. We feel like we are missing out on something that will make us a better athlete and potentially improve our speed or strength or stamina. Truth be told, rest days are an imperative part of fitness. An athlete can only go so long before their body has had enough and digress in an effort to recover.
Consequences Of Not Taking Rest Days
Unless you’re Steve Rogers (ask a six year old if you don’t know who that is), your body needs a break. Any rigorous use of our muscles breaks down muscle fibres. It’s the healing portion that makes us better. We need time for them to build back up. Fatigue, strength losses and injury can all be major concerns when we are too active at an intense and demanding level. Overtraining will not only hinder your physical abilities but also have a detrimental effect on your mind and emotions. When our body won’t operate up to our standards, the mind takes a toll. Frustration, irritability and lack of concentration start to show up. So do your body a favour and take a day off.
When To Take Rest Days
A simple to follow schedule will have rest days be scheduled every 4th day. 3 days on, 1 day off, repeat. If we have a flexible schedule, this will work great for us. For many of us with a fixed schedule, Monday to Friday while taking the weekends off is the best option. Develop a rest strategy that works for you and your fitness goals, and as your abilities increase, adjust accordingly. Listen to your body and when you are overly sore or overly tired, rest. You are better off to take a rest day than come into the gym after a night of no sleep and try to get through a workout. Another concern is sickness. Crossfit demands a lot from our nervous system. If that system is under stress trying to fight off a sickness and then we add a workout on top of it, we are creating a perfect storm to get sick. If you feel something coming on, stay at home and get the rest your body requires!
How To Spend Rest Days
There is no right way to spend a rest day. There can be wrong ways. Feel free to hang out on the couch and catch up your favourite shows on Netflix. Watch a movie. Go for a walk with the kids. Go for a leisurely bike ride along the river. Movement is usually a good thing (unless we are trying to fight off sickness). “Motion is lotion” for our sore muscles. Grab a yoga mat and do some stretching. Foam rollers. Hot baths. Whatever your thing is. A wrong way, would be ordering a large Vern’s pizza, hammering it back and crushing a bag of M&M’s and potato chips while killing two seasons of a Netflix show.
In summary, exhibit some common sense and caution to maintain the health and fitness we are all after. Going overboard will do us more harm than good and will sabotage our efforts for a stronger, faster, fitter version of us. Our body gives us everything it’s got in a workout, so return the favor and learn to embrace the rest days, regardless of when and how you spend them.