We love that you’re getting the most from your workouts at our Corpus Christi gyms! Keep up the great work!
Pushing yourself to meet your fitness goals can take a toll on your body, though, if rest and recovery aren’t a regular part of your routine. Yep, consistent R&R is as essential to your fitness as time on the treadmill or a session with free weights.
Just as your body requires sleep each night to recover from the daily grind, your muscles need a chance to repair themselves too – especially if your workouts are at maximum intensity.
Does that mean we’re giving you a pass to take it easy? Well, not really.
Body Mechanics in Brief
Your body works much like a finely tuned car, and you need fuel to keep the pistons firing and the engine running.
The food you eat provides that fuel, especially carbohydrates. Quite simply, carbs are broken down into glucose, which is stored in your muscles as glycogen. Glycogen is the primary source of your body’s energy, the “gas” that keeps you moving.
When your gas tank registers E after a long drive, you stop and fill up. Right?
The same can apply to your muscles. They often register E after an intense workout as the glycogen stores are used up. Rest days allow your muscles to recover and replenish that essential fuel.
If you push yourself day-after-day with high intensity workouts, not allowing sufficient rest/recovery, your muscles run on empty – which can cause muscle strain and fatigue. Who needs that!
“Rest” Isn’t a Day on the Couch
Let’s be honest – we all need downtime once in a while. Listen to your body when it’s worn out! The type of muscle rest we’re encouraging doesn’t mean skipping the gym.
We’re suggesting that a “rest day” means participating in lower impact, less stressful exercise. If you regularly lift, try the treadmill now and then. Or put in your earbuds and ride one of our indoor bikes.
Or mix it up with circuit training at our gyms in Corpus Christi, exercise that switches up muscle groups by combining cardio and strength training tasks.
Be mindful of your body’s need for sleep too. You’re not lazy when you permit your body the time it needs to rest, recover, and restore itself.
