This simple mantra is what has been getting me through today and hopefully allow me to survive tomorrow. Sounds dramatic I know, but after a week of hard work (aka very little sleep) and a midterm and a paper standing between me and my birthday celebrations, this next day is seeming much more like a mountain than a molehill.
I know many of you collegiettes™ experience these periods of craziness and I am going to pass on some words of wisdom from my lovely roomie: “You need to rest, you are working too hard.” Though this was in reference to exercise, I think this simple phrase is just what a lot of us need to hear sometimes when we have developed tunnel vision and can’t see the big picture. My focus this past week has been work, more work and running. Don’t get me wrong, I am so happy about how well my workouts went last week, but longer runs than my body is used to plus an average of only about 6 hours of sleep for a week equals a very exhausted body.
Resting doesn’t have to be equated with laziness, sometimes a recovery day is a proactive way to stay on the path to a healthier lifestyle!
Though exercise is an important part of the SELF Jump Start Diet, even Jillian Michaels prescribes two days off from cardio! When it comes to exercise, I am not really a day off kind of gal. Exercise acts as a stress reliever, so when I have a lot going on it is even more incentive for me to head to the gym or hit the cross country trails. But after a while your body needs a break and that is why yesterday I restrained myself from lacing up my sneakers and opted for some stretching instead. Though I was still a little tired today during my 3 mile run, I am hoping that rest day will pay off tomorrow.
So pick a day this week and reward yourself and your tired muscles for all the hard work you have done by relaxing a little!
HC Love,
Alyssa