Prioritizing Your Recovery Days Like a Pro
Avoid burning out with these tips.
As January brings its coldest temperatures yet, the significance of prioritizing recovery days cannot be overstated. With the demands of a busy work schedule and the excitement of committing to a fitness routine (aka your fitness-girl era), it’s easy to overlook the necessity of rest. Many individuals, including myself, often find themselves caught in a cycle of relentless activity, neglecting the crucial moments of downtime that allow our bodies to recuperate. It’s essential to recognize that recovery is not a luxury but a fundamental component of any effective fitness regimen.
Incorporating structured recovery days into your routine can dramatically enhance your overall performance and well-being. The physical and mental strains of daily life, whether from staring at screens for long hours or engaging in social activities, can take a toll on your body. Allowing yourself designated rest periods facilitates muscle repair and mental clarity, ensuring you return to your workouts rejuvenated and ready to push your limits. The balance between exertion and recovery is vital, and understanding your needs is key.
Ultimately, the fitness journey is not solely about intensity and consistency; it’s also about listening to your body. Each person’s recovery needs differ based on various factors, including workout intensity, nutrition, and stress levels. Embracing the necessity of rest can lead to a more sustainable and enjoyable fitness experience. So this January, as the cold weather settles in, remember to honor your recovery days—they are just as important as your workout days in achieving your health and fitness goals.
1. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
If you’re constantly sore between work and workouts, this may be a sign that your body is telling you that you’re doing entirely too much. If you can’t miss your workout, try an hour or so of stretching and a low-intensity cardio session. You’ll feel great afterward and save your muscles from overworking your routine. You are what you eat; apply this method when you feel sluggish, or something is wrong. A regular break from processed foods and refined sugars is one of the best things you can do for your body. Avoid being in a constant limbo with your weight by avoiding sugars and carbs.
@rayan.xasan
2. PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN
Getting back to the basics one step at a time. The power of detaching yourself from your phone is one many cannot fathom. Your phone and social media were designed to grab and hold your attention, hooking our brains and triggering dopamine releases. Scrolling through your phone and watching TV simultaneously is problematic as it requires splitting your attention and can lead to memory loss – as studied in new reports. Multitasking isn’t a thing; it’s just task-switching. It’s turning our attention on and off a particular activity. Doing that all the time takes a lot of energy and diminishes your sense of power and agency. One of the best things to do is to invest in an actual alarm clock so that you can sleep in your bedroom without your phone next to you. This method will allow you to get into the habit of waking up and not wasting time scrolling through your phone; this clears up mindless scrolling and gives you your time back to having a morning routine.
@bellahadid
3. INVEST IN SUPPLEMENTS
2024 was the year supplements went viral on TikTok or by word of mouth. Brands like Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme or Lo Bosworth’s Love, Wellness struck a chord with many women with their offerings. For me personally, the only supplement I tried was bye-bye bloat pills from Love, Wellness, which is a clinically proven debloating capsule made with a blend of digestive enzymes and botanicals. I can genuinely say that this worked for my friend and me, but I already need a new bottle. Lemme released a stellar capsule aimed at burning the “bad” fat in your body and has been shown to combat body fat safely, body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat in combination with diet and exercise (based on a 12-week study). You can read more on this HERE. Combining this with a healthy diet is the best tool to get your mind, body, and soul on track. Consult with your MD before taking long-term supplements, and carefully read instructions.
4. READING IS HOT
I’ve managed to go through my 20s, hardly reading actual books and telling myself that buying fashion and gossip magazines was good enough – clearly, I was wrong—more than one can imagine the benefits of reading, from decreasing stress to enhancing your vocabulary, the list goes on. Studies have found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga and humor did. Researchers have confirmed that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks become more substantial and sophisticated. Many people these days can’t finish a book because they cannot focus without being distracted; this may be caused by an underlying issue such as ADHD or any form of PTSD. Here are some tips and tricks to help you start your book quickly.
– Finding a quiet space with little to no distractions.
-Reading aloud works also if you can’t make sense of something.
-Use a bookmark or ruler to guide your eyes.
-Highlighting key points (good for any research studies).
-Pausing to analyze everything you’ve read (this helps you pick up where you left off).
-If you want to make reading even more fun, try going to your local Bookstore or Barnes-N-Noble and joining a book club, or head to the cafe and try reading (using headphones can help block out unnecessary noises).
-Hit the DND Button. Keeping your phone away from you or in another room is a great practice to maintain quiet time in peace.
-Invest in a good pair of reading glasses.
-Start with mindful reading that can provide you with resourceful information.
Image: @Kimkardashian
