Every once in a while, our lives catch up with us. Our bodies remind us to take a break, slow down, recuperate. I'm not particularly good at doing this without being forced, and last weekend my resilience got the better of me.
On Friday night a stomach bug managed to conquer me, and believe you me, I was utterly defeated. The next few days consisted of sleep, 7up, hot water bottles, plenty of toilet trips and sad faces. Gastroenteritis, as it is medically known, has no cure, other than to keep hydrated and rest. Before I moved back to Dubai I never really suffered from inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, but a combination of 45 degree heat and some kind of dodgy chicken or seafood usually gets the better of me at this time of year. Two years ago it was so bad I thought I had appendicitis! Just turns out mussels at Iftar buffets are best avoided...
So anyway, back to the not-so-gross reason I am posting this. I believe that sometimes, our bodies have to force us to rest. Like I said, I'm not particularly great at resting, and by resting I mean taking a day off from exercising.
The concept of a rest day within a training program is to ensure that the body has time to regenerate. It allows muscles to repair, rebuild and strengthen by renewing the levels of muscle glycogen present to stimulate healing. If this is not allowed to happen we get muscle fatigue and staleness. Symptoms of over training present, including malaise, decreased sports performance and increased risk of injury.
However, don't think 'rest days' are all about mooching on the couch and pigging out. Active rest is a nice way of getting some mild physical activity into your day, without pushing your body to the extreme. For example, a gentle yoga class or a walk along the beach are how I prefer to spend my 'days off'.
Sleep is another essential component of rest. Catching enough Zs allows time for your body to regenerate itself. Not getting enough sleep consistently, can lead to hormonal changes and imbalances, particularly hormones that regulate stress (increased cortisol), mood and muscle recovery (decreased glycogen synthesis and growth hormone).
Cortisol is a hormone heavily released during times of stress, especially during 'fight or flight' mode. In acute stress (say you've been attacked in a back alley) the adrenal gland releases cortisol and other hormones like adrenaline to allow for a 'quick escape' by mobilising glucose and free fatty acids and increasing cardiac output, heart rate and blood pressure, which means you'll have the power to fight off your attacker and run away to safety.
Too much exercise without rest periods can also put stress on the body, leading to the release of cortisol. Chronic excessive release of cortisol can lead to depression, atherolsclerosis (hardening of the arteries), metabolic syndrome and decreased bone density. Other side effects include more visceral and belly fat and decreased immune function. Which brings me back to my original point...
Exercising is wonderful and should be done by everyone, especially during this day and age where convenience food is at its highest (we no longer have to go out hunting for our meals every day), and physical exertion is at its lowest (how many people do you know who walk or ride to their office job? Not many I'm sure). I 200% believe in moving daily, maybe even breaking a sweat.
BUT!
We all have to remember, in this work hard party hard lifestyle, that rest and recovery is of utmost importance. If we don't allow our bodies to recuperate, they will not work to their maximum capacity. Muscles will ache. Stubborn fat will get harder to shift. Our creativity and vivacity will dwindle. Colds and sniffly noses will become a daily occurrence. Hell, you might even spend the next few nights feeling like your insides are being flushed down the toilet!
But if we take the time to nurture our bodies, then they will serve us well. By all means, dance all night but practice yoga the next day. Eat pizza and ice cream for dinner but have green tea and an omelet for breakfast the next day. Work a 14 hour shift but take a beach walk and then nap in the sunshine on the weekend. Sweat it out and train hard 5 or 6 days a week, but make sure on those 'rest' days that you let your muscles recover and relax. Balance is always going to be key to survival.
Rest. Recover. Revitalise.
V x
