Take it Easy

I woke up this morning at 6am to go to yoga. I am completely addicted and I love going to these classes every day. I actually feel slightly off kilter if I don't go! This morning I managed to get as far as the bathroom before my neck went out. I can barely look up or to the left and it's pretty painful.

I stood in my living room for about 20 minutes trying to turn my head to all different angles to see if it would loosen up so that I could still go to yoga - until I realised how absolutely ridiculous I was being. This is definitely a reason to take a day off. My body is sore and tired and I know it's been begging me for a break for a few days now, but I've just been ignoring it - convincing myself I could work through it and my body would catch up with my mind. It really doesn't work that way. It is so easy to become addicted to exercise - how can we manage this addiction?

1. Lose the guilt

One of the reasons I hate taking a day off is because somewhere, deep down, there is still a tiny reservoir of irrational beliefs telling me that if I miss a day I will either lose my momentum, some of my fitness (how ridiculous is that) or I'll gain weight (again - totally ridiculous!). One day is going to AID recovery and in the long run help us to get get stronger. Don't make the same mistake I just did. Listen to your body and take a day off when you're feeling the need.

2. Learn to trust

As I've mentioned in a previous post, a lot of us have the tendencty to take an "all or nothing" attitude. I definitely have this problem when it comes to exercise. Even though I know I love to workout now and there's no way I'll just never exercise again if I miss one day, I still don't trust myself 100% - that is one of the reasons I struggle with allowing myself to take a rest. Well, my neck and I are both paying for it now! We also have to TRUST our bodies. A little twinge of pain is always a warning sign - ignore it and it is sure to turn into something much worse.

3. Follow a schedule

I can't say that I have been doing this - I always ignore the rest days on my workout schedule, but I am for sure going to start adhering to them now. There is a reason they schedule a rest day in those programmes. Our bodies need a rest and muscle fibres need an opportunity to repair so that we can become stronger.

4. Enjoy the break

We've worked hard and we have earned our rest day so make sure you enjoy it! There is no point sitting around all day feeling bad because you're not jumping up and down or lifting weights - we have to remind ourselves that we NEED this rest. We have to be kind to our bodies so that they'll respond positively.

I am going to try and take my own advice today, which I have to admit isn't easy. If anybody needs me, I'll be immobile on the couch!