when is it time for a rest day?

If you're reading this, I bet you've seen tons of workout plans that have "prescribed" rest days.  That means they tell you EXACTLY which day of the week to rest with total disregard for your schedule, your life and how your body feels.  I mean seriously, if Thursday is your typical night out with the girls but your workout DEMANDS that you go to the gym...  It's time to find a new workout plan...  Why?  Because that is just NOT how rest days are supposed to work.

Exercise should always complement your life...  It should never detract from or control it.

but... if you don't listen to the plan, then what do you listen to?

Simple!  (Kinda.) 

You listen to your body (and your PERSONAL calendar, not theirs).

This is a lot easier said than done, I know.  With all the "motivational" things we see on social media like:

• rise and grind
• you can sleep when you're dead
• never skip Monday
• Fridays count too
• slay all day
• etc, etc, etc 

It is just SO hard to think we are allowed to rest.  But the reality is...  All the people you see succeeding in the gym are either:

1. taking rest days and just don't talk about them because it doesn't get them as much attention
2. or not taking rest days and are on the verge of sabotaging their health​ ​

the truth:

All the work you do in the gym is great, but what you need to remember is that the 45 minutes you spent working out is not when your body gets stronger.  Seriously, it's not.  Those 45 minutes told your body what to do, but WHEN it happens is way after those 45 minutes are up.  Your body needs to recharge.  It needs to sleep.  It needs to leisurely walk.  It needs to stretch and regain mobility.  All these things that happen outside the gym are what let your body get ready for next time so you can be more agile, faster and stronger.

If you don't give your body time to repair, then you'll be in the second camp from above = on the verge of sabotage.  I've seen it many times before from training clients...  People get super motivated at the beginning and take on too much at once.  They feel great (at first) but eventually get burnt out and give up completely because they are so tired, sore and grumpy.  If they listened to their body's needs and took a break, they would have been able to continue.

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so you know you need to rest, but when?

Here's the hard part.  Listening...  My rest days are never the same day each week, it always varies depending on what I've done in the week, what is on my to-do list, and where my head is.

What I advise you to do is use these two general rules of thumb:

1. if you have too much to do in one day (or too many fun plans), TAKE A REST DAY.  The mental stress that comes with a big to-do list and running from place to place does NOT equate to a good day at the gym, so you might as well just save it.
2. if you have been sore for two days in a row, TAKE A REST DAY.  That soreness means that your body did a great job then and needs some time to recover so it can do a great job again.  Wouldn't you rather have an awesome workout than just an ok one?  Save it for another day.

I really hope those two rules help you along your journey to wellness!  If you want to start a workout plan that DOESN'T prescribe specific rest days and gives you ultimate flexibility with your life, check out my workout cycles with the link below.  You pick from 1, 2 or 3 workouts a week and schedule those days in according to YOUR needs.

click here to start a flexible WORKOUT PLAN

​Need even more help listening to your body?  Check out my confidence coaching plan, it helps you gain body confidence through working out, but also through treating rest as a way to honor your body!

click here to sign up for CONFIDENCE COACHING

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