You’re tired. Stressed. The wear and tear of the week is hanging onto you. You’ve had a couple of bad night’s sleep. You’re fighting with your spouse, etc… You just don’t feel like it…
The last thing you want to do is exercise. In fact, right now, exercise sucks.
So, what should you do?
Forget about what your “program” is supposed to be. Instead, let’s take a look at how to listen to our body, give it what it needs movement-wise, and set ourselves up for quality recovery.
#1-Take a body inventory.
How do you feel? Is it purely a fatigue? Are you getting sick? Do your joints or muscles hurt? Do you have a headache? Are you sleeping properly? How’s your stress level?
#2-Perform some deep breathing.
Take a seat or lie down on your back, close your eyes. Perform box breathing (4-4-4-4) for 3-5 minutes. This will help calm you from stress, aid in your heart rate management, and help clear your mind of noise.
#3-Start slow.
Take a leisurely walk. Don’t worry about the time, intensity, or any other metrics. Just walk. Breathe the fresh air. Listen to your favorite podcase, or better yet, listen to the birds and breeze.
#4-Read the signs.
If you feel up to it, jog a bit. It will increase your heart rate and you can focus in on your breath work during the jog. If you feel good, stop and perform 10 pushups, squats, lunges, chin-ups, or other bodyweight exercise, then continue on.
#5-Stretch.
Perform a series of restorative stretches.
#6-Don’t push the envelope.
Just because today was supposed to be a heavy lifting day, it doesn’t mean that your body or mind is prepared for it. Instead, provide the vessel you live inside with the environment it wants and needs to restore and recover.
Remember, it’s OK to be human. Not every day will be the best day ever. That said, we are Great Apes, and we must move daily. So, be the ape you were meant to be!
-Aaron
I’m here to help. If you’re interested in online fitness or nutrition coaching, hit me up here, on my Facebook page Renegade Fitness, or Instagram @renegadefitnessmiami.
