Day 10: Wednesday
My calendar B and C folks- today is REST DAY! So... let’s talk about the importance of rest and recovery when it comes to movement. Calendar A folks, listen up too, this is important info, your rest day is coming soon.
When we live with chronic illness, rest days are our default. When our body hurts, we assume that movement will make it hurt more. As we discussed in the masterclass, this is our body's natural protective instinct. To withdraw, to close up, like a flower that closes up in the rain or cold weather. But- this is actually the opposite of what we need for the long term health of our body. We need to keep moving in order to keep the muscles healthy, the joints healthy, our blood and lymph and oxygen systems flowing- and the more we stop moving, the more clogged up our body becomes.
So- why are rest days listed on the calendar? Well, while constant rest days day after day clog up our system and need to be avoided, rest days become important when combined with exercise. It’s like how we say the “right” kind of exercise is good for us but the “wrong” kind of exercise hurts us? Well, the same goes for rest- there is a “right” kind of rest and a “wrong” kind of rest. Rest is good and necessary if we are exercising and challenging new muscle groups- we need to give our bodies the opportunity to recover and rejuvenate before we can begin again. Rest days are also essential for flare-up recovery and prevention. If you remember from the masterclass, too much physical stress on our system piles up and can trigger a flare-up. Giving our system the time and space to take a break from the pressure of exercise helps manage the physical stress we experience from exercise. So, your rest days are a very important part of your exercise routine. Don’t skip them- but don’t extend them either!
Accountability: A rest day is a good opportunity to incorporate another form of self-care into your daily routine, like meditation, sauna or Epsom salt bath. So tell me, what are you doing on this rest day? Or share it on the Facebook page!
Exercise for Calendar A folks: Practice Day Three: Rest or Foot/Ankle