Taking a Rest Day – The Importance of Slowing Down
Believe it or not, there are physically active people that get so motivated by their routine, so lost in the focus and determination, that they forget that an integral part of the process is to slow down and actually rest.
Give your body and mind a chance to recover from whatever gauntlet you’ve just thrown at it.
For some people as mentioned, this is easier said than done.
The mere thought of slowing down seems like it would hinder any progress and actually defeat the point of maintaining a physically active lifestyle.
However its quite the opposite.
Letting your body and muscles recover is just as important as the active days themselves.
Whether or not you actually ‘skip the gym’, or slow your pace down dramatically for a day or two, varies by person.
For some, a rest day is a slow walk around the block, or perhaps some mind slowing and body stretching yoga.
For others, a rest day is becoming one with the couch. Blending yourself in with the cushions and catching up on all of the tv you may have been missed while you have been otherwise active.
One of the things this pandemic has taught a lot of people – is that gyms are not 100% necessary to achieving and maintaining a physically active lifestyle.
While home gyms have certainly been on the rise, a lot of people aren’t afforded such a luxury – especially with the cost of weights and home gym equipment on the rise and thats even if you can snatch it up.
If you thought toilet paper was hard to come by a year ago, you should try to find yourself a reasonably priced set of weights – and this shortage has run throughout almost the entire pandemic thus far.
This being said, having a solid home gym is certainly not an essential part of an active lifestyle. There are many other options when it comes to being active.
With the world turning virtual, a growing number of activities and challenges are popping up – offering plenty of ways to stay motivated and fit without stepping foot in a gym much less outside.
Fitness classes, motivation and support groups, you tube videos, home gym challenges, and even virtual races are all on the rise and all offering great options for people to keep moving.
You can spend anywhere from nothing, to – well I’m sure the sky is the limit these days.
You can zoom into a group work out, follow along with YouTube videos, or sign up for a set distance race.
There are even some races where the goal is to progressively walk or run in order to meet a certain goal or set distance.
Some options offer a chance of virtual friendship and support, while others will have you pushing your goals.
For those of us who are motivated by goals and numbers and like the option of continuously pushing our goals, the thought of slowing down and taking a rest day can be one of the most daunting tasks of the week.
The thought of being slow, or just stopping to relax can have thoughts of all the things you could otherwise be doing piling up in the back of your mind.
With that said, after having a rest day – your body, your mind, and your attitude will thank you.
You can often even find, deep in the bottom of rest and relaxation, that super human boost you needed.
Just when the days were starting to become monotonous and almost tedious. Steadily working to achieve a goal that is oh so close – only to stop to just breath. This is when your body and mind can take it all in and appreciate the work and efforts you’ve done so far.
Rest days don’t just apply to being physically active either.
They are just as important – if not more so – when actually implied to your working life and career.
While a lot of us are motivated by a paycheque, we often lose sight of how important rest days are for our business life as well.
Working day in and day out especially during a pandemic takes a toll.
Physically and mentally.
So take a break.
Breath.
You may just find yourself further ahead than you expected.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.
