Well since I’ve enhanced my home gym I have been working out pretty religiously four or five times a week. It became apparent recently that I needed a break from working out. I needed a break from exercising and a break from the routine.
My body was feeling a little sore which I usually see as a sign that I am working hard and improving, but there was something different about this soreness. The joints were hurting and my sleep was uncomfortable.
Now I love to exercise and I love to do it early in the morning when I don’t feel like I am bookending it into other activities. I love the sense of accomplishment early on in the day. I love not worrying about being interrupted. I love having my favorite music as my backdrop.
I’ve always found that my need for a break coincides with a spell of the blues or some slight depression. In the past I was able to make the connection, let up from exercise and more or less bounce back.
The important thing about taking time away from exercise may be to not feel guilty about it. Replace that time with guilt free rest, a longer meditation, reading more news or indulging in guilt free doing nothing much. Waste a bit of time if you must.
It’s also probably good to get a bit of activity in or just continue with your walks, your dog walks, catch up on weeding the garden and avoid too much of slouching on the sofa. You don’t want those aching muscles to start aching because you’ve been coiled up in some terrible posture binge-watching Drag Race for a week. You want to heal, not create more problems, after all that is why you are exercising!
This is something to keep in mind now, when our routines are a bit screwy. Be good to yourself and you will see the results. You won’t go to seed. You’ll actually bounce back even stronger. It is referred to as many things, a rest, periodization, a break.
Just make sure to listen to what your body is saying to you.
The Movable Beast 