This post is addressing something that I believe to be really important. Something that is encouraged that might be ruining your fitness and your health.
In a world where everyone is posting about their daily workouts or checking in at the gym I think it’s important for me to tell you the truth…
It’s ok not to do that stuff.
^^^ Seriously.
It’s ok not to exercise every day.
And it seems like I’m not supposed to tell you that. It seems as if, with my job, I’m supposed to be the one kicking your ass every day, telling you to get out of bed and SMASH IIIIIIT!!!! YEAH!!!
In the past I’ve embodied that lifestyle, and drove my health into the ground in the process. One thing I clearly remember is the smugness that I felt by being so active.
“I went for a run at 6am”
“I’ve done 5 classes today”
“I’ve not had a day off in 15 days”
As if somehow this was my super power.
It wasn’t that I thought other people were lazy but I did think that I deserved some recognition for my extreme levels of activity.
There’s probably truth in the research about how people posting their workouts on facebook are narcissistic and wanting attention.
I worked out this much because I thought it was necessary if I wanted to stay in shape.
I did it because “that’s what you do” when you work out. You go mental at it every day cos why bother if you don’t do that?
Right?
It took me over a year to recover from my overtraining, at my peak I was teaching 30 classes a week, every week, over several months and not eating properly to support that.
This is an extreme example but going from fit and healthy teaching 7 classes to teaching 30 is the same as zero to 300 in no time at all.
But that seems to be what people do now.
Workout every day
Two classes back to back
Three hours in the gym. YEAH!!!
It it is necessary?
I’m embracing my true feelings and telling you straight up now
It’s ok not to work out every day. In fact, it may even be healthier.
While some exercise is good for your health more is not always better. Particularly when we’re thinking about longevity.
There is no patience left in the world now and this is a massive problem when it comes to weight loss and self development.
We want abs.
We want them NOW.
We’re not willing to wait and the answer seems to be working really hard for a short period of time and then basking in the glow of success forever.
Sorry. No. Consider that bubble fully burst.
Not only do long lasting results not come from short term actions it’s also extremely demanding on your body.
I have clients come to me all the time wondering why they can’t lose weight.
They exercise, they eat clean and it turns out that it’s 7 days of hard core exercise on a diet that contains very little support for their body.
More is not better.
I want to introduce a radical idea, one that actually works.
Have patience.
^^^^ read that again, and again.
Create a SUSTAINABLE plan that has adequate recovery.
And I’m not talking about pretend recovery where you just do a 5K run. I’m talking about having a day of complete rest.
Eat a diet that is healthy and flexible.
And don’t look in the mirror and call yourself lazy because you choose not to workout every day.
Don’t for one second believe that someone who works out more is somehow better than you.
It’s a myth. It’s a flat out lie that you need to work so hard to see results.
It’s clever marketing and it has to stop.
The bottom line is that you do what feels right for you.
If you’ve been working out every day for years and
you sleep well,
you have energy,
your skin, hair and nails are great
your periods are regular (if applicable)
your stress levels are low
and you feel great
Then please continue.
But if you’re exhausted
If you keep getting ill
If you need a bottle of wine to fall asleep but you can’t sleep a whole night through
If your skin is unusually dry or blotchy or you have acne
If your periods are irregular or non existent (where applicable)
If you’re always cold
If you have regular headaches or anxiety
If your muscles are always sore
Then please re-evaluate your plan.
Exercise should be enjoyable. It should fill you with endorphins, it should leave you feeling accomplished, strong, satisfied, happy, energetic, sexy, unstoppable.
You shouldn’t dread it.
Use exercise to enhance your health, not as a punishment for how you look.
Ainzlie “3-4 times a week kinda girl” McMaster
p.s – this might seem simple, but it’s not always straight forward. If you need help establishing a new routine you may only need a few sessions to get yourself started. If you want help with your Workout Routine Reboot get in touch today.
