Rest and Repair

Hello, ladies! I did it! I ran my first full marathon and surprised myself with my time of 4 hours and 41 minutes! More on this exhilarating experience next week… I promise! Today it’s all about letting my body rest.

As you exercise and challenge yourself, I want you to be sure you allow your body the time it needs to repair and recover. The body repairs and strengthens itself in the time between workouts, and continuous training can actually weaken the strongest athletes.

When you workout you create microscopic tears in your muscles. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and strengthen. Exercise recovery also helps in replenishing your energy stores and greatly aids in your psychology recovery through rejuvenation and relaxation .

Recovery starts with cooling down and stretching after you exercise, as well as hydrating and eating well. It is also important that you allow your body to rest in between. Fitness experts believe that six to eight hours of rest each day is adequate for optimum health and recovery.

Train hard, push yourself and remember to let your body rest and repair.

Stay fit and stay happy!