For the martial artist, the fitness enthusiast, and the good/better/best lifestyle and health-seeker…
Did you know there are weird, weird people who actually enjoy working out all the time?
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This may sound crazy but there are people who workout everyday, sometimes two or more times in a day. They love what they do and they do what they love. They push themselves day after day after day.
“No days off,” is their unspoken mantra, their inner imperative. They cannot fully comprehend the idea of not working out; it just does not compute. A lot of these people wake up before the crack of dawn, just so they can sweat. Before they even finish their current workout, they’re already thinking about and planning the next one. And if it were possible, they’d workout eight days a week. They are totally focused, absolutely motivated and yes, just slightly obsessed.
Have you ever met one of these individuals in person? Or, more to the point, are you one of us?
The symptoms characteristics inherent of this strange group are pretty obvious:
So, the questions remains: are you one of us?
Those who don’t workout all the time are probably perplexed by us. Maybe a few of the reasons we do what we do will help.
Because the pros of always working out are so easy to imagine, I’m going to skip right to the cons. We may not readily admit it, but the cons of being one of us can be big. Some of them I have, unfortunately, experienced myself, but the lesson was valuable still. Harsh, negative effects of working out so often can stem from an inadequate recovery period (a lack of a rest day), and / or improper diet*:
The degree to which one might experience any of the above depends on several factors such as how long one has been working out without a rest period, intensity of workout, diet, health, age, etc. In some cases, the only way to fully recover from overtraining is to stop training altogether for several weeks, if not months, or longer…
While none of us like or want to skip working out for more than a day, we need to, we have to, if we are going to stay healthy, reap the benefits of working out, and keep progressing. We also have to acknowledge and let go of the secret fear we all have that, if we take a day or two off we’ll transmute into an 88-pound weakling who still needs their grandma to open pickle jars. We have to understand, one day off will not result in the loss of our superpowers. In fact, the opposite is true; rest enhances our health and our abilities.
So, along with making sure our nutritional intake is up to the level necessary to support the demands of our physical fitness routine, here’s are some things we can do to stay balanced:
Along with the above, we can develop an “always training” mentality, meaning, even when we’re not actually, physically working out, we are still in training mode. Studies have shown, and I have experienced it myself, that startling progress can be made through directed mental attention even when no actual physical workout takes place. For example, on rest days, I still pay close attention to my breath, how I move, what I feel as I move, how I connect my body and whether or not every action flows from my center (core). I also note how I engage with myself and with others, and I watch training videos, or read relevant books or magazines. Then, when I get back to working out, I not only feel better, but I perform and progress better.
And, yes, because I’m still one of us, every now and then, even on rest days, I let a spontaneous punch or kick fly…just because, and just to be sure…
Take care of yourself and enjoy those rest dayz!
Eric
Below are a few recommended recovery aids. For more, visit our Post-Workout Recovery page.
Vega Sport Post-Workout Recovery Accelerator, Tropical, 19oz, 20 Servings:
Garden of Life Sport Organic Post- Workout Recovery, Antioxidant Supplement, Vegan, Blackberry Lemonade, 15.7oz:
Truth Nutrition Naturally Fermented BCAA 2:1:1 Powder (Instantized) – Watermelon, Plant Based, Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Branched Chain Amino Acids, Pre/Post-Workout Supplement, 30 Servings:
Superhuman Carb Shock Ultimate Post- Workout Recovery Supplement – Just Add To Your Protein Shake (16 Packets):
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