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Rest Day Brags

Jan 24, 2018 | Lifestyle, Running, Wellness | 15 comments

This post is in partnership with Pukka Herbs. 

Rest Day Brags

You upload your run, your yoga class, your weights session on to Instagram, but somehow the photo of you kicking back on the sofa with a cup of tea and stack of biscuits never made it on…

Guilty.

In a world where doing it all, achieving more, conquering everything is king, we don’t talk about (or prioritise) rest enough. Recovery. Self care. There are run steaks galore, hashtags and Insta accounts that promote ‘running every damn day’, some of which I think promote overtraining and underplay the need for downtime.

I recently read a blog about the best workouts for a rest day. ERM… if you’re working out, it isn’t a rest day! I’m not talking about active recovery, where you’ll do something less intense that you do on your training days. For example going for an easy bike ride, swim or walk when you usually pound the pavement or hit the weights area. Yes going for a walk is lovely, but if that walk is 12 miles, then it is not a rest day. Furthermore, in my opinion, not having a rest day is unsustainable.

Rest Day Brags

I found the #RestDayBrags on Instagram a couple of weeks ago and love the idea behind it. It is all about glorifying the rest day, and sharing it as the important aspect of successful training that it is.

I think people are scared to take rest days or admit to taking them as they think it’s being lazy, that they are missing out on training progress or that taking a day off will mean they’ll lose fitness. Actually the opposite is true. In order to make gains, we need to let our bodies process and adapt from your training. Inflammation and cortisol in the body decrease and you let your body and mind recover from the previous week of work.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how we should all think of ourselves as athletes. That means resting like athletes do. Inadequate recovery leads to over-tracing which can reduce performance level, fatigue, changes in hormones, insomnia, changes in appetite and mental health issues.

Rest Day Brags

The amount of rest we need varies depending on the intensity of training, although the American College of Sports Medicine recommends waiting 48 hours between sessions on the same muscle group. I’m interpreting that as 48 hours between hard running sessions, and easier sessions between. For example, I’ll do my track workout on the Tuesday and a tempo session on a Thursday or Friday, then long run on a Saturday or Sunday. Monday is usually my full rest day!

Not only does a full rest day help promote recovery, reduction in inflammation, but for those of us that training is not our full time job, it gives us a chance for balance. Many people do their long runs on Saturdays and take Sundays off fully to spend time with family, to let their hair down on a Saturday night with a few drinks without worrying about an early start the next day.

Stress + Rest = Growth

Rest Day Brags

I still like to look after my body on my rest days, usually having a bath using Epsom salts, eating well (with a piece of cake or two thrown in with my cup of tea) and getting plenty of sleep. It’s also a great day for a sports massage – I go to Function 360 Physiotherapy for mine. (see end of the post for 20% off their marathon package!)

I’ve been loving the Pukka Turmeric Active tea lately, and had it with a little Manuka honey in while we were in New Zealand (trust me, it’s delicious). Let me also just say that this is not a Teatox which I am totally against and wouldn’t touch with a barge pole. Pukka herbal teas are medicinal grade quality herbal teas that are designed to utilise the natural properties of the ingredients to soothe, relax, energise or calm you. Their English Breakfast and Earl Grey are staples in our cupboard.

Rest Day Brags

But back to the turmeric…

You’ve probably seen turmeric lattes all over Instagram, it seems to be the superfood of the moment. And for good reason. Studies have shown that Turmeric may help reduce inflammation within the body by lowering levels of  inflammatory enzymes, and studies have also shown that it can increase production of detoxifying enzymes.  This study showed that Turmeric helped reduce the symptoms of arthritis, in particular, osteoarthritis. Additionally, it has been linked to treatment of depression in this study.

I’ve been using the Pukka turmeric Active 35 Oil as studies have also looked into the absorption of turmeric transdermally (through the skin), in the same way a Magnesium bath is one of the most effective ways of increasing your Magnesium levels. The oil is designed to be massaged into muscles to alleviate joint and muscle inflammation. It’s great to use it on the days after a run or those days where you let your body recover.

Rest Day Brags

Rest Day Brags

I’ve read that overtraining is like dehydration, by the time you notice, it’s already too late. That is to say, by the time you’re exhausted, you should have already put in a rest day. So even if you don’t feel overtrained, perhaps it’s time to look at your schedule and make sure you have some downtime in there…

And join me in sharing your REST DAY BRAGS, and don’t forget to tag me in your pics.

I’ve actually put together a package with Function 360 Physiotherapy that includes a 1hr consultation, 3 strength & mobility sessions with homework and 3 sports massages – email them at info@function360.co.uk to find out more about THERUNNERBEANS package. I don’t get any money from the package, in fact you guys just save money as they’ve knocked 20% off their usual price for you guys! 

15 Comments

  1. W. Purves

    Glad to hear you are fitting in Rest Days – essential!
    G.

    Reply
  2. Bethan

    Totally agree, and I also find it odd when people brag about not resting or doing crazy things on their rest day! If you want a strong body you’ve got to give it an opportunity to do its thing and recovery is part of that. Very curious about the idea of adding honey to tumeric tea (I’ve been chugging the stuff lately), so will give it a go! X

    Reply
    • Charlie

      Agree – the idea of the norestdays hashtag baffles me! Rest is sometimes the hardest part of training!

      Reply
  3. Pippa

    I totally agree and have always wondered how good the whole ‘runstreak’ craze is – i think it just promotes obsessive behaviour and overtraining.
    If i run too many days in a row my body starts complaining so i know it wouldn’t cope without (full) rest days

    Reply
    • charlotte

      I agree – definitely not a fan of a run streak!

      Reply
  4. chifunochanga

    A great read! Thanks for sharing…I always feel guilty when I don’t exercise everyday. But having experienced a couple of knee injuries from only running, I realised the importance of cross training and resting. Can’t wait to share Rest Day Brags!!?

    Reply
  5. Nicole

    i love pukka tea, and i didn’t know they made a turmeric one. will need to try. also these photos are adorable!! love the one where you can only see the arm and mug of coffee. xo

    Reply
  6. Jade D'sa

    All athletes and fitness buffs need a rest day! So important to all round development

    Reply
  7. San

    I love my rest days and I definitely need to post more about them. Thanks for the reminder! They’re part of a good, balanced lifestyle for sure.

    Reply
  8. lalaforte

    Rest days are my favorite days! I’ve been doing 3-4 HIIT classes a week, one day of swimming, and one day of whatever I want – and then one day of total rest. It’s the only way I can continue to push myself at the gym – I always notice that I’m stronger and faster when I get a good rest day, and weak and sluggish when I don’t. They are so important!

    Reply
  9. Sian

    I want to know whose house this is! ?

    Reply
  10. Julia

    Wow this house looks nice. Is hope you rested nicely.

    Reply
  11. pursuingtheprocess

    I train 6 days a week, and I like to keep it that way. Take a rest as and when you need it, listen to your body, and give it time to recover…this is where the results manifest!

    Reply
  12. taplatt

    I’m glad you wrote this post. Everyone’s body is different and responds differently to training, but I’ve found that if I don’t take a day completely off every 7-9 days, I get grumpy, irritable and overly tired. To prevent that, I pretty much take a day off once a week and am more balanced and rested for it!

    Reply
  13. Lauren (@PoweredbyPB)

    Love a turmeric latte. My rest day is tomorrow and I am so looking forward to it!

    Reply

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