Giving It a Rest

This is me Thanksgiving day around 4:00 pm.... 

Does your resting heart rate sound like a jackhammer drilling through concrete? 

In other words, if your heart rate is way above what it normally is - say, about 10 beats - take it easy or take a day or two off!

Do you feel chronically sore or weak?

If you lift a cup of coffee and it feels like a 10-pound dumbbell, STAY HOME!!

Do you get chronic colds and infections? More vitamin C, Echinacea, and Goldenseal are not going to do if for you.

Are you not sleeping well? 

If your tired and not sleeping well, you're damaging with your hormone balance for sure. Take naps, don't set the alarm clock, and sleep to noon.

Are you irritable, anxious, or depressed?

It's not a good sign if you lock your keys in your car and smash the window to retrieve them instead of calling the auto club.  Don't ask me if I did this.....

Can you not concentrate or do you feel disoriented?

If you make a left-hand turn signal while you're on a stationary bike, you might need some rest.

For most people, exercising too much is about as big a problem as saving too much money. Is that possible?! haha.... However, some beginners - in their zeal to make up for 20 years of neglecting their bodies - vow to exercise every day for the next 20 years!! This not a smart idea.... If you're trying to get fit, your workouts are only part of the equation; rest is just as important :-)

Aim for B.A.L.A.N.C.E:

Breath - Cardio & deep Breathing. Purpose is to increase the body’s ability to process oxygen at the cellular level.

Agua - The amount of water you consume daily. Purpose is to hydrate the body.

Lengthen – Stretching, yoga, chiropractic work. Purpose is to avoid impingement, keep the body aligned, increases blood flow to muscles.

Anaerobic Exercise - weight training or weight resistance. Purpose is to strengthen muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones. It also increases metabolism.

Nutrition and Supplementation - Food and vitamins. Purpose is to regulates metabolism, energy source, strengthens immune system and facilitates recuperation.

Cleansing - Fasting and colonic to cleans and regulate bowel movements. Purpose is to rid the body of toxins and toxic waste.

Energize – Sleep, meditation, massage, reading and affirming. Purpose is to reset your internal battery, and increase the mental awareness and strengthen the body.

What Happens If You Stop Exercising?

Physical conditioning is a use-it-or-lose - it proposition.  A couple of days of inactivity won't set you back, but if you continue to slack off, your improvements fade in a matter of weeks. Benefits from your training or conditioning are lost within two weeks to three months.

But there's good news, too. You can preserve your hard-earned fitness even if you go through a period when you don't exercise as much as usual. Suppose you're a business owner.  You get into a really good routine of exercising four days a week for an hour, and you keep up the routine for four straight months. Then, unexpectedly, the market/economy shifts on you and for two months straight you're buried in a lot of paper work, travel, IRS, attorneys, and extra meetings early in the morning! Well, instead of abandoning exercise completely, which would practically guarantee that you lose all your progress, you can cut back and still maintain your fitness for up to 12 weeks.

How you say? Instead of training 1 hour 4 days a week, you could get by with 1 hour twice a week or 30 minutes 4 times a week. The only requirement is that you keep up your usual pace or intensity. When you get back to your regular routine after crisis mode, you may find that you've lost no fitness at all or maybe just a tiny bit :-)

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