Time to Relax and Recharge
By, Gabby Reece
Start with a clean slate. Here is another one of my polar moments. I want you to relax. Take it easy and lay low. Now I have you just where I have my husband. Huh? Let me explain. I believe the process of maintaining your health and fitness can feel overwhelming, so we never actually get to it. So what if you took a week to take a step back, chill, take a few relaxing walks, eat, and sleep well? Then, when that Monday comes, you can really go after your goals.
Sometimes we don’t get to come up for air, so we never really dive down deep. We just stay in this perpetual state of trying not to drown. Why not climb up on the dock, think about what you want to do and then when you feel rested and ready leap in, and touch the bottom?
Let’s face it — I think this is a good idea when you feel continuously tired. You’re working, taking care of home, and trying to squeeze in those workouts. There are times I feel all of that catching up to me. About 5 to 6 times a year, I just feel tired enough to not do anything for a few days or even an entire week. I listen to my body and just give it a break. Once those few days are over, I’m ready to really go after my training with purpose.
It’s smart to use this time as a restoration and recovery from the intensity of day-to-day demands. That means in order to restore your spirit, you should use this time to take a deep breathe. We’ve removed the “stress” of having to work out, so use that free space in your mind to heal. Don’t train and then walk around like a coiled spring to boot. No, the week represents a break in all areas. A breather, if you will. A time-out. You know — “Calgon take me away” kind of thing.
By the way, this is not to be used as an excuse every time you don’t feel like working out. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about recognizing that you have been trying to do it all, and now you are fatigued to your core.
OK, the other critical part is the food. Try to nourish your body with some living food during this restoration. Food is a biggie. It helps us recover and affects our psyche.
If you really want to get wild, then try to throw in some form of “quiet time” for yourself. Just 15 minutes a few times during that week. You can call it whatever you like — meditation, prayer, getting away, etc. I hope that you would realize the benefits enough to try to incorporate this practice into your new week. Part of the reason we get so overwhelmed is we lose perspective. Quieting the mind gives us a more balanced view of it all. Maybe helps us decide where we want to spend our energy, and let’s us avoid landmines.
Here’s to enjoying some hard-earned and guilt-free time off. One step back in order to take 100 forward. I think it’s great to try and do it all, but if you run yourself into the ground in the process, who’s going to drive the kids to soccer?
2010 Gabrielle Reece . All Rights Reserved.