#TACTIX :: Time Off, Active Recovery & Massage
“No such thing as a rest day, bro!” Perhaps you’ve heard something along these lines at your local gym. Of course training hard is important, but so is rest, active recovery and massage. There’s always someone who trains 7 days a week, full throttle every session until eventually, they stop showing up. Can you guess what happened?
Take Some Time Off
They over-trained and potentially got injured. This is, of course, unfortunate and you hate to see it happen, but facts are facts: you can do too much. Weight-training, plyometrics, Zumba, CrossFit, all awesome routines to follow. However, listen to your body and don’t overdo it!
Rest, relaxation and recovery are just as important as getting in those workouts, eating right, and getting adequate sleep. It takes balance to achieve wellness so don’t be afraid to say, “Know what? Think I’ll take it easy today.” Furthermore, overtraining can lead to much more serious conditions, such as rhabdomyolysis or “rhabdo”.
While you may be tempted to spend your rest days doing as little as possible, consider trying what’s known as “active rest”. Do a steady-state cardio (LISS) session, or some stretching and yoga. Take the dog on an extended walk. Or, you can maximize both rest and rehab by booking a message!
Massage for Active Rest
You have not felt good until you spend a month doing some serious competition-style training and then take a rest day and go to a good masseuse, like the ones at Chiropractix! And even if you’re not an avid lifter or fitness enthusiast, a good massage runs so much deeper than just physical recovery.
Life’s monotonies and curveballs can catch up. Maybe you’re having one of those days, weeks, or even months where nothing is going right. Left the windows down before a thunderstorm, didn’t study for that exam, got a flat tire, missed your bus – the list of unfortunate goings on is extensive and will undoubtedly get to us all. It’s important to remember that wellness has as much to do with the spirit as it does with the body and its systems.
Getting an hour massage once a month has become an absolute necessity for many. Deep-tissue, hot stone (heavenly), Swedish, aromatherapy, sports, trigger-point, Shiatsu, reflexology – you really can’t go wrong with either although you should consult your masseuse and figure out what’s best for you.
When you feel good, when all that stress is alleviated, you feel like you can take on anything. Most importantly, you feel like you can take on anything and maintain a smile and be a little more positive in a world that can sometimes have you feeling anything but.