Master Fitness Program
Rest
Getting enough rest is something that will yelp you to get the most out of your health improvement and weight loss efforts, but it is also something that most people simply do not do. However, just like Nutrition, State of Mind, and Exercise, Rest is a critical part of your success if you want to achieve maximum results from your program.
Getting rest is not just about getting sleep, however. It is also about recovering properly from your exercise training sessions. It doesn't matter if you are a beginning exerciser or an Olympic athlete, if you do not allow your body to properly heal after you exercise, you will be setting yourself up for an injury that could sideline you for a very long time.
Everyone knows that we are all supposed to get about 8 hours of sleep each night. Well, I wish that I could tell you that wasn't necessary, but in all actuality, it has now been shown that not only does your BODY need 8 hours of sleep, but so does your mind.
As far as your body is concerned, the hormone that is released that allows your body to repair itself is caused - appropriately enough - Growth Hormone. If you don't sleep long enough to allow your growth hormones to be released and to also do their work, then your body will not recovery properly from your workouts, and you will have limited results from your program.
Mentally, you need to get at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep per night because it is only during the late stages of an 8-hour night that your mind mentally catalogues all of the things that happened to you during the previous day. If you are the type of person who normally only sleeps for 6 hours or less, you will likely have the same experience that I had when I started sleeping longer. I started remembering my dreams!
It is believed that one of the purposes behind dreams is that your mind is organizing everything that it has been exposed to. So, if you don't sleep long enough to have deep dreams, your mind will not function at peak efficiency, and neither will your body. Incidentally, I don't know if it's true or not, but I remember a Star Trek episode where the crew started to go nuts because they were no longer able to dream.
Get enough sleep so you don't go crazy!!
The other part of resting is actually recuperating from your workouts. This is a very subjective issue, since everyone will recuperate at different speeds based on their exercise history, their workout program, and their personal rate of recovery. However, there are some basic guidelines for a beginner to follow:
1. If a muscle or joint is still very sore from a previous workout, do not work it out intensely until the soreness subsides. Now, on one hand, don't make excuses! If you're a little bit sore, then exercising that area properly can actually speed up your recovery. On the other hand, learn how to listen to your body. Don't overdo it!
2. Don't single out specific muscle groups and just work on them. Most people have "favorite" muscles that they like to work, or "problem areas" that they want to target. Please eliminate that thinking from your mind right now. If you follow an appropriate exercise and nutrition program, ALL of your muscles, and ALL of your problem areas will be dealt with. By concentrating on certain areas of your body, you will overwork them and they will not recovery properly, thus setting you up for sub-standard results or injury.
3. Some muscles recover faster than other muscles. Don't set up a "standard" recovery time and try to plan your workouts around that schedule. Some muscle groups, like your abs, can normally be worked more often than other areas. Again, don't overdo it, but don't back off on a muscle group like your abs just because your legs are sore!
That pretty much sums it up for the Rest portion of the Master Fitness Program. Email me with any questions, and be sure to check out the sections on State of Mind, Exercise, and Nutrition
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