Rest Day Routine!
Happy Friday! I love Friday for many reasons. Obviously, it’s the end of the work week but it’s also my rest day! It tends to also be my day to indulge a bit so I take extra advantage of Friday Rest Day! If you have a well established workout routine, then you know the importance of rest days. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to improve and can be hard to take a day off. My husband used to say that I can’t sit still very well. I have since changed me ways but it took marathon training and some injuries to learn my lesson. Now, my rest days can vary depending on my weekly load but I try to do as little as possible.
Related: Three Signs You Need A Rest Day
Some people have active rest days and still get some form of workouts in. I’ll choose my words carefully on this since I think this is okay to a point. I once saw someone on Instagram bragging about their rest day workout….it was an INTENSE workout. That’s definitely not a rest day y’all! Don’t be a couch potato (okay, you can be but at least take stretch breaks) but don’t go hard in the paint either! Your body needs to recover and that’s the whole reason behind it. Here’s what my rest days look like.
Rest Day Routine: Yoga
Depending on which rest day it is (Monday or Friday) I tend to favor yoga for recovery. Last Sunday I had a long run followed by a lot of standing in church. This led to my hips and back feeling very unhappy. That following Monday I did a quick 20 minute yoga video (Yoga With Adriene) for hip and lower back release. I knocked it out before breakfast and felt great afterwards. Just some simple and slow movements kind of help get you going without causing any damage. Be careful though as some yoga classes may be too intense for the recovery you need.
Rest Day Routine: Stretch and Foam Roll
Foam rolling has becoming part of my nightly routine. As my dinner is cooking, I tend to pop on my favorite YouTube news show and foam roll. This is especially crucial on rest days! Your muscles are working to repair themselves to by doing some stretching and foam rolling, you’re helping to get rid of any of the left over adhesion. Be mindful of static stretches and don’t force it. Some days you may be able to touch your toes and other days you may not. Simple attempting the stretches and moving around helps! Getting into a good habit with your foam roller (even on regular days) will keep most soreness at bay.
Rest Day Routine: Hydration and Nutrtion
Keeping your body hydrated helps with soreness as well. Making sure you’re drinking enough water keeps your body working as it should and helps your muscles recover. If you are mindful about your nutrition, you may even have certain foods on rest days to reduce muscle inflammation and get everything back to how it should be! This part can often be overlooked but it’s very important.
