You Need Some R&R

You Need Some R&R

By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Friday, July 25, 2008

One of the most crucial aspects of a well-designed fitness plan is rest. Not only does it help your muscles recover from your workout, relaxation also gives your mind a much-needed break. When you relax, you turn on your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). This nervous system is the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which governs your actions during the typical week. All too often we spend most of the work week in a state of agitation, with our fight-or-flight response – a function of the SNS – in full-on battle mode. You must turn off your SNS and turn on your PNS from time to time. If you don’t, you’re headed for burnout. You’ll feel irritable and fatigued. And when you’re tired, you won’t want to exercise. So in a whacky way, allowing yourself periods of rest will actually help you stick to your workouts. You may feel guilty relaxing at first, but when such thoughts pop into your head, just use the oops technique you learned earlier. Say “oops” out loud, and then return to lounging in your hammock.
Your coach,Jorge Cruise