Settle in team, because we’re talking about the importance of taking a break. Now that I’ve been writing for a bit under a year, I know that most of you lovely SSTers are fitness champions. But sometimes your body is just telling you to take a hot minute on the couch! Of course, this should not overlap with your training schedule, but more when you’re generally staying healthy.
Close to three weeks ago, I started getting some intense signs of stress. I was tired all the time, quickly irritable, and started to get frequent symptoms of a cold/flu. I was trying to do everything, which means that nothing was being completed at 100%.
So I stopped. I stopped trying to do it all and PRIORITIZED what was important to me. Which meant that I stopped my traditional workouts and re-focused on rest and relaxation to get myself back in fighting shape.
In case you’re ever in a place where you need to take a rest, here a few steps to make sure you take the time you need and get back on track in no time.
Pick a date or landmark when you’ll get back to working out – In cases related to stress, I tend to look at the calendar to determine when whatever is stressing me out will be completed. If your body is stressed out, then just plan for a few days to be a bit more low key. It might be more difficult to get back to working out when that date comes, but no excuses. Stay committed and get back to it!
Jump back into working out in a couple of phases – Depending on the amount of time you’ve taken off, you may want to phase getting back into working out. This time around, I’m planning on doing a week of 3 days of working out, moving up to 5 days the following week, then potentially increasing to 6, always leaving the 7th as a rest day. Have a plan and schedule your workouts when you get back into it to skip over excuses.
Keep being active & eating healthy while you’re taking your break – Even though you’re taking a minute off, stay active outside of those traditional workouts. Take the stairs, walk to lunch, take a walk after your light dinner, & eat healthy/natural foods. This will keep you away from traditional symptoms when you’re not working out and will make sure that getting back into traditional workouts may be a bit easier.
Please note: I am not professionally trained. You should always speak to your doctor before starting any workout program to determine what’s right for YOU.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
What points in your life have led to you taking a break? Pregnancy, having too much on your plate, or injury are usual reasons that I’ve discussed with friends. I’m on my 3 day week right now after 3 weeks off until we booked a wedding venue – more news on that today!
Create a great day!
