Rest Day.
Rest Days.
Rest Weekends.
Taking a rest Day always feels very wrong to me. Like I am cheating on the gym with my couch, and that the case of lazies will destroy everything that I have put into my workouts. It’s silly really, how can 1 day completely strip away days, weeks, months even years of training.
I didn’t get this way in a day – so it won’t change in a day.
It’s a DAY, right?! So imagine when I take a full rest weekend…
Rest WEEKEND.
Rest time is important. This is not just me being lazy, it’s me being good to my body. Working out places strain on the muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and joints – for me this is an area that I already have problems with. Yay Lupus.
When there is muscle strain or joint strains, our immune system is activated; if the body doesn’t come out of practice and rest our systems don’t have time to catch up. It doesn’t have time to patch everything back together.
The last few years have taught me that healing is not linear. Every day is different, every day I work through the pain. Having chronic pain is a constant reminder that I have a chronic illness. Working out keeps me feeling like I am beating my illness, beating the pain. Rest days tend to remind me that I am sick and a chronic pain sufferer.
My body has a way of destroying me and there are days that I add fuel to the fire. I understand the need for rest days, the need to repair my muscles; but rest days make me feel lazy. Lazy makes me feel powerless, out of control, and weak.
We don’t have all the kings horseman and all the kings men; so we need to look out for ourselves. One crack in the armor and we can be destroyed.
Having Lupus, my body takes a bit more time to recoup. Extra strain on the muscles and joints can lead to more inflammation. More inflammation leads to more immobility which leads to more pain. More pain leads to more stress and more STRESS = FLARES.
I love my workout days. I love moving. I love feeling strong and powerful.
Knowing when to rest and relax is strong and powerful.
I’ve found that part of getting through my Lupus and Flares is knowing my body. Trusting and listening to what my body needs. I am not lazy by needing a rest day, I am like every other athlete in the world – all training programs account for rest days.
Rest = growth = gains
https://www.wellbridge.com/fit-like-that/give-it-a-rest-its-ok-to-skip-your-workout