Some people in the fitness industry say if you want to achieve your goals then you need to devote all of your time to training and meal prep, and that if you ever spend any time resting then you’re not trying hard enough.
They’ll say things like: “If you snooze your alarm clock then you’re not dedicated”, or “Rest is for the weak”.
So let me get this right… These people are saying that an extra 10 minutes in bed or an occasional day chilling on the sofa will stop me from ever achieving my goals!? What a load of old poop.
I saw a post like this a few days ago and it’s bothered me ever since because I know some people will take that advice on board and exhaust themselves by using every free minute they have to exercise. So I guess this is kind of a rant post, but it’s written with the intention to tell you guys the truth about the part rest plays in a healthy lifestyle.
Love your body enough to respect when it needs rest
I’ll be honest, I don’t tend to snooze my alarm clock most days. But that isn’t because of “purpose and passion” or whatever else the “anti-rest brigade” might say – it’s because I grew up in a house with eight other people and I didn’t want to become the one who annoyed everyone in the morning with my alarm clock repeatedly going off.
Sometimes I do snooze my alarm. In fact, sometimes I spend the whole day doing absolutely nothing on the sofa.
Does this mean I’m not driven and that I don’t have the necessary determination to achieve my goals? No. It simply means there are days when my body is screaming out for rest and I choose to give it what it needs.
It took me years to learn to listen to my body, so I’m trying to encourage you to start now. Ignore guilt-inducing posts telling you that rest is not allowed. If your body is showing signs of needing a break, then chill out.
Rest is just as important as training
Seriously, rest is when your body will make the adaptations from your training, and we all need to take at least one or two rest days every week to allow our bodies to recover.
Isn’t it time we stopped demonising rest?
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