When you have your eye firmly set on a goal you can become so focused and caught up on your workouts, training harder, getting stronger and increasing your reps and strength… but don’t ever underestimate the importance of recovery and rest times as part of your training regime too.

Yes… you should always be challenging yourself and pushing yourself for results, yet another crucial part of your weekly routine should include adequate rest and recovery.

Focus on these point to boost your progress for even better results…

1/ Adequate sleep – we are so busy and trying to fit in so much from day to day that sometimes we forget just how important sleep can aid in our recovery. We need enough hours of really deep REM sleep to ensure that our cells have time to recover and regenerate for physical renewal including muscle repair, growth and hormonal regulation. Without deep sleep, you’re more likely to get sick, sometimes experience feelings of depression, mood swings and lack of sleep can lead to over production of the stress hormone cortisol which can contribute to belly fat.

2/ Resting muscle groups from day to day – as we put our muscles under pressure ie. lengthen and contract our muscles during our workouts, we are actually creating small ‘micro tears’, and the muscle fibres therefore need time to repair to form new muscle myofibrils. Over working a group of muscles is generally counter productive to allow for this time for repair and growth.

3/ Stretch & Muscle Recovery – add in time for a good foam rolling session. Stretching out tired muscles can aid in the recovery time and also help with reducing soreness in the days after your workout otherwise known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

4/ Down time and Mindfulness – taking the time to schedule in a decent amount of downtime for relaxation has been proven to work wonders for your brain power and helps reset the body. Mindfulness and calming techniques can also be a great way to practise purposeful downtime for your mental and physical health too.

So are you getting enough Zzzzz’s? Maybe it’s time to start scheduling a decent bed time and/or allow for a decent stretch and recovery session. Maybe even a regular mindfulness practise? OR maybe you’ve been over training a certain area of your body, and need to provide more timely rest in between sessions? Any or all of these ideas are a great way to add in that crucial element of rest and recovery that might just be missing from your training schedule to take your health & fitness to the next level.

Here’s to rest and recovery! Best wishes & happiness always, Di xo

We have great outdoor training options at ‘ibelieve fitness’ and we would love to welcome you along to a ‘ONE WEEK FREE TRIAL’ so you can find a session that suits you best! Lots of convenient training times – Sunrise, Mid Morning and Late Evening plus Mummy Bootcamp with complementary Nanny Service – with loads of variety across Boxing, Circuit, Cardio, Interval/Strength, Speed & Agility Training so there’s something for everyone. Limited spaces available – Just drop us an email di@ibelievefitness.com.au to find out more! 

Di Shepherd is a Master Trainer and Founder of local Outdoor Fitness provider ‘ibelieve fitness’ operating out of Ryde Park.  

For more details visit: www.ibelievefitness.com.au  

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