Why hello there!
Hi friends!!!!
It's been a while! I missed chatting with you. 
I got a bit swept up in my weekend and am still not feeling all that great. So I've been trying to really focus on being good to my body, get a lot of rest and just wait for whatever is trying to bring me down to move on! It's been nearly a week now so this buggar inside of me should just quit because I ain't gettin sick. Every morning I wake up and my glands in my neck are super swollen so I know my body is cranking out work.
I've been drinking a lot of fresh juice, a TON of smoothies and I've amped up my echinacea, zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C. I think that should do the job!
Let's start with some fun workout recaps
Friday: oh that was a positively miserable workout! I do not know what happened but from the minute I started, my body felt like it weighed 500 pounds. Sometimes this just happens, no? It was a huge struggle to finish the cardio portion! I didn't feel sick or run down necessarily but I think my muscles were just NOT rested. So I took my energy expenditure way down and told myself that I would continue so long as I didn't feel that I was pushing my body past my level of comfort. But truly, this workout was a lesson in being 100% aware of your body, the signals it is giving, what the signals mean and how to respond. I ultimately turned my 45 minute cardio workout into 30 minutes flat. There is NO reason to push through something that is uncomfortable. Regardless of the type of discomfort, listen to your body! More on that in a bit…
Saturday: REST DAY! I knew this had to happen Saturday. Rest rest rest. I slept in, woke up to my usual green monster and just chilled. It was lovely!! We had a friend's birthday bash to attend so I wanted to feel energized come evening.
Sunday: I kept things simple and short again folks. About 30 minutes of cardio was all. But I felt fabulous!!! Huge change from Friday. My muscles had spark to them, I felt very alive during this workout. I had the energy to push longer but I decided to stick with my planned 30 minutes and end on a good note! Solid!
Today is a toss up. I would like to workout but depending on how I'm feeling, another rest day might be in store! Five years ago, I would have NEVER considered a rest day unless it was planned. I was always working out to look good and darn it, no rest unless it was my 1 planned day! Oh how I've changed.
But I think many of us can relate to that frame of mind. When you look at the available resources out there on healthy living, there are 2 fundamental ways to attain your desired level of health: diet + exercise. We won't talk diet today but let's think about exercise. How do you view exercise? Do you approach it for enjoyment? Do you incorporate activities that not only push you physically but make you feel GOOD mentally? I hadn't until the last 2 years.
In college and the first 6 years out, exercise was my way to look good. It was part of what got me into my cute jeans or that fabulous dress for a friend's wedding. Exercise was what I did to enhance my vanity. Is that wrong to do? Well, I can't say that it isn't so please don't feel that I am suggesting that. What I have learned is that way of thinking just isn't healthy! It doesn't promote the type of healthy living that I WANT.
One of the decisions I made, when I began to learn how to eat intuitively, was that I wanted to connect my mind with my body. I didn't know what that felt like after nearly 10 years of ignoring how my body felt. I simply wanted to be thinner, I simply wanted to be better. This thinking completely distorted my mind's perception. But now, I make choices with exercise because it makes me feel energized, well, balanced and alive. I look for activities that give me an excitement in my step. And I feel that excitement by paying attention to my body and what makes it feel good!
At the same time, I have learned what it feels like to push too hard, to push past my limits, when my body is not rested and when my muscles have not had time to recover. And it is very easy for me to make the decision to either workout or not. And that it is ok to make these decisions! There is no more guilt or shame or frustration associated with this decision. Exercise is no longer my means to a vanity goal or a way to get in to my skinny jeans. And this way of thinking has brought me more health, more energy and a stronger body. This change didn't happen over night and there are still days where I get frustrated if I'm not feeling a workout and I kind of want to get sweaty and feel better in my jeans. Sure, let's be honest here!
But, the effort I have put towards my mind AND my body has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done!
So, how do you view exercise in your life? How do you adapt to rest days when they are needed?
Till later friends…I will be back with something else fancy later today!
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Great post! I am trying to shift my thinking and behavior about exercise. I feel like I am addicted to it in positive and negative ways. It helps me destress and think through problems clearly, but I also still feel like I need to do it to maintain my weight or make up for indulgent food choices. I started doing more yoga in the past few months which has been so great. I'm working on intuitive eating too- thanks for talking about these issues!
Hello again!
You know, I think many people feel that they are addicted to exercise in a positive and negative way- it's kind of hard not to, isn't it? I think the important thing to distinguish or at least try to work towards is this:
Exercise can provide your body such a tremendous amount of benefits, both mentally and physically. For some, exercising does allow them to eat more indulgently and I think that is a very healthy part of exercise. The key is to not guilt yourself if your body is calling for rest, for a change in pace and no exercise at all! If we start ignoring how our body is feeling, we are not going to experience all of those incredible benefits that exercise provides us. Make sense?
I will admit that I am totally addicted to exercise! The high, the energy, excitement and more..LOVE IT! But on a day where I truly need to dial it down or just not do anything at all, I'm finally ok with that! Even if I had eaten more indulgently! Balance!