Balance Between Movement and Rest
Submitted By Kesta Smith
Are you missing Run Ranger Run as much as we are? Although missing the pace of Run Ranger Run we have been enjoying some rest as well.
Movement is important for our bodies and so is rest. Finding balance between these two is necessary for our bodies. We can be so focused on physical exercise we forget to provide our bodies with adequate rest and self-care.
While we spent the month of February racking up the miles for a great cause, we must remember to rest as well. Without adequate rest we can experience over-training syndrome: injuries can occur, changes in our sleep, mood swings, elevated heart rate, inability to fight off infections, depression, loss of motivation, and more. Take a moment to evaluate how your body is doing. Do you need to make more time for rest? Do you need to take time to stretch and foam roll? How many hours of sleep are you getting? If any of the previous sounds like you, take time to reset, reduce the amount of physical activity, get a massage, track your food intake, and vary your training.
Training is great. Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone is necessary in order to discover just how strong we really are; just remember to provide your body with rest in between hard workouts. If rest is not provided, the body will take the necessary steps to make sure it gets the rest needed and probably not in the way you would prefer.
Now, I am not suggesting to completely stop moving, simply to make sure you rest in between those workouts. Physical activity is great for us however, it is a stressor too. You might ask what happens if I don’t rest or get enough sleep? The body is an amazing creation and when it does not receive what it needs the body will demand it. For example you may notice lack of energy, irritability, erratic sleep patterns (having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep), mild depression or anxiety, food allergies, inability to handle stress, dry and thin skin, blood sugar issues, changes in weight, changes in appetite, and/or inability to fight off infections. If you can relate, then you may have an issue with your cortisol levels (too high or too low). A simple test can check your cortisol levels.
I have had my cortisol levels checked, my doctor had me do a saliva test which consisted of spitting into four test tubes: one before breakfast, mid-day, afternoon/early evening and at bed time. This helped us to track how my cortisol levels were trending. Now cortisol should be at its highest first thing in the morning and at its lowest at bed time. My levels did follow this trend however, my problem was my levels we never high enough. For example, if the lab scale goes from 1 -10 (one being the lowest and ten being the highest), my levels in the morning were between three and four and dropped throughout the day. No wonder I had no energy at 2pm!
Listen to your body, it will give you the information you need. Honor the feedback your body gives you. If your body is telling to get more rest, honor it. If your body does not respond to the rest you are giving it, then you may need to see a physician. Take care of the one body you have been given and happy training!
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Koach Kesta is a Run Ranger Run participant and loved what she was seeing in social media about Run Ranger Run and GallantFew. Do you have questions for Koach Kesta? Looks her up on Instagram @KoachKestaWellness. For more Koach Kesta resources visit her site.
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