When it comes to our health and fitness we tend to want to push ourselves too hard. There is a feeling that if something is good for us we should go all out and do that 24/7. In reality, if we try to do everything that is considered good for us, counterintuitively we can easily find our bodies start to be vocal that we need to slow down. When this happens it is important to take the time and energy to allow our bodies to recover. Unless we allow ourselves periods of time to recover we will find we are actually doing ourselves more harm than good. Health and fitness is the very definition of a marathon not a sprint.
Recovering From Physical Activity:
When we start a new fitness routine it is easy to forget to give ourselves breaks. We have endorphins cruising through our bodies and we feel good (for example Runner’s High) and therefore assume we are giving our bodies what they need to thrive. Fitness is considered good so we don’t consider how this same fitness can cause harm to ourselves. This is one of the reasons that before starting a new fitness routine it is recommended that you talk with a doctor.
For example we often find that, especially with a new fitness routine, we end up feeling aches and pain 24-48 hours after we exercise. This pain can discourage us from continuing or be a sign that we are actually causing our bodies damage. We can help minimize these aches and pains by making sure to stretch before and after our workout, using products such as a CBD muscle recovery balm to help soothe stressed and overused muscles, and making sure that our fitness routine includes enough rest periods. The goal is to slowly strengthen our bodies without causing injury or pain.
Recovering From A Poor Diet
It can be challenging to keep up a good diet especially when we are dealing with stressful situations. We tend to reach for comfort food, which in the long term, can lead us into bad food habits. While it might feel good in the moment to reach for some chips or something sweet in the long term it is important to prioritize eating well if we want to maintain our health. This can look like choosing a plant based diet, or simply having a wide assortment of health food choices such as nuts and fruit easily available to much on. In general the easier it is for us to access healthy food the more likely we will do so. If you have been finding your diet is leaving something to be desired, consider how much better you will feel physically if you create a healthy diet that works for you.
Recovering From Stress:
We all face moments where we feel loss, sorrow, stress, anger, anxiety etc. These moments can be caused by a particular event or can seem to come out of the blue. Giving ourselves the space we need to recover from stress, from a mental health crisis that we are having, or a crisis someone we love is having can make a big difference. It is important to process what we are experiencing, instead of trying to ignore what we are feeling, and this can take many forms including journaling or talking to a good therapist. There are also a number of tricks we can use no matter the situation such as being intentional with our breathing or trying a grounding exercise.
When it comes to our health there will always be moments when we need to recenter ourselves and reevaluate our fitness levels, diet, and mental health. When you find that your actions are not helping you reach your health goals it is important to pause and consider what you can do to help your body recover so that you can move forward towards better health. No matter who we are there will be moments we have to create space so our bodies and minds can recover from what we have been experiencing. Health is a complex concept but with the right frame of mind we can make sure we are successful in this marathon.