The Vital Value of Rest
Does anyone else feel the pressure to GO GO GO? Is it just me that feels guilty when I take a two second break? Why do we feel like we don’t have the time to recharge our batteries, and more importantly, why isn’t rest prioritized?? There is literally a vital value to recovery. We plug in our devices to recharge a depleted battery. Why don’t we consistently value the same for our bodies, especially when our physiology demands it??!!
Schedule it!
I am not asking that you slam the brakes and throw your life in park indefinitely. I am ‘merely’ (haha) advocating for balance (if anyone has some tips, I am more than happy to hear them!). And I think that for a lot of us, from elite athletes to everyday people, this balance can only be achieved deliberately with actual scheduled recharge time.
You’ve got options…
Rest and recovery encompasses a lot of things. It for sure includes adequate nighttime sleep and good nutrition. Rest and recovery doesn’t just include sleep. It may involve meditation, going offline or ‘unplugging,’ getting away, going out for dinner with a loved one or friends, going for a walk, putzing in the garden or engaging in a hobby. It could include foam rolling, stretching, cross training or an active rest day for the avid trainer. This list is nowhere close to exhaustive.
The body will take what it needs
When we don’t get enough rest our body retaliates. In some cases, our body forces rest upon us. This can manifest as reduced performance and injuries in athletes. Sleeping less than 7 hours per night increases your injury risk by 1.7 times. For me, when I push myself too hard for too long, and cut into sleep and healthy habits, I become irritable, mentally foggy, I show up to work with my clothes on backwards or inside out (true story), and my absolute tell that I need to take a break is I lose my voice. For others, they actually get sick or at least can’t get rid of a cold or minor infection. Worse yet, people end up in the hospital. Skipping on rest and not recovering appropriately isn’t being soft, it’s physiologically required.
Time to refuel
For active people, rest is important because it allows for the resynthesis of protein, muscle restoration, fluid balance re-establishment, and the replenishment of energy and fuel stores. It is also very important for the emotional and psychological well being of athletes.
Signs of Overtraining
Just like there are signs of exhaustion for the grinding employee or around the clock parent, there are also specific complaints and signs of over training for athletes and active people. These include feelings of fatigue and reduced energy, difficulty falling asleep, restless sleep accompanied with night waking and waking unrefreshed. These individuals may feel a loss of purpose and competitive drive. They may be irritable and anxious more than their normal. They may even have some signs of depression. Their muscles may ache or feel heavy and may complain of joint pain. They may be consistently fighting some bug off. Their performance is subpar. An often used objective measure of overtraining is an athlete’s morning resting heart rate is raised ten beats over a period of at least five days.
Balance
So while I empathize and even admire your grit to keep going to train harder or get that to-do list completed, I also truly caution you. That edge you feel you are achieving is short lived and will come back full circle to make you less productive in a work and sport capacity in the long run. The tortoise does win the race in the sense that someone who balances mental and physical rest with intellectual and physical work will achieve more in the end. Get your sleep. Eat nourishing foods. Balance work with joy. The harder you work out, the harder you need to recover. Our physiology demands it. So there you have it. Another one of life’s caveats: be busy, but not too busy; be active, but not too active. Sorry guys. We can’t get away from it. We need balance!
Authored by Corey Ireland - Registered Physiotherapist and recovering go-go-goer