Barre with Justine

We live in a world where there is pressure to always be moving and doing to feel proud of ourselves. On social media, we celebrate the accomplishments of attending a fitness class or completing a run, sharing times and distances (all valuable things!). However, it is rare for us to acknowledge the important moments of rest and recovery, perhaps because it doesn’t feel like we are ‘doing’ much of anything. I hardly ever see reels of people putting their feet up unless they are meant to be funny.

The truth is, recovery is essential to both mental and physical health. Overtraining is a very real danger, even for non-athletes; without rest, your body will not heal and will not perform at its best!

The Risks of Overtraining

We intuitively know that when we push ourselves too hard physically, we become fatigued and more susceptible to illness. I remember my days of teaching multiple cardio classes at the gym and feeling like my body was breaking down: my shins hurt, I was constantly tired, and would have lingering coughs that lasted for weeks at a time.

There is a delicate balance between the physical benefits of exercise and the need to rest and recover. Research shows that overtraining or excessive exercise may:

• mute the immune system for hours (or longer)
• increase the risk of injury
• decrease bone strength
• make it more difficult to sleep deeply
• affect reproductive health in men and women
• impact our mood and focus!

For me, the feeling of being physically and emotionally depleted is the first sign that I’ve overdone it with fitness. Perhaps you have felt this way too! I think it’s common for many people when they first sign up for the gym or commit to exercise to go too hard too quickly and end up burning out.

How can we prevent overtraining? Rest & Recovery!

First, you do not need to exercise every single day! Taking rest day is incredibly important since our muscles heal and grow when we rest. Depending on your workout routine and your body’s unique needs, you may need one or more days of recovery in the week.

Listen to your body and take note if you are feeling tightness in your muscles or starting to dread your next workout.

your rest and recovery might include:

• making the time for quality sleep
• doing self-massage or foam rolling to help with muscle soreness and increase blood flow
• practicing restorative yoga poses such as savasana, legs against the wall, and supported child’s pose
• relaxing with a calm hobby such as reading, knitting, or even watching a funny show
• incorporating a structured recovery class into your fitness routine (such as SoulBody Restore)
• ensuring you are eating enough to sustain your levels of activity

My Favourite Way to Recover:

When I am burned out from exercise, I love to do a spa evening. This may include a hot bath with essential oils like lavender & bergamot paired with epsom salts (the magnesium can help with muscle soreness!) – sometimes a glass of wine too! I love doing a face mask (either homemade with honey or Beautycounter’s charcoal mask) and then doing face massage with oil and the gua sha, focusing on areas that can accumulate tension like the jaw and the temples.

Following up with an evening of an “easy to watch” show like Seinfeld with Sleepytime tea is the perfect way to wrap up the evening!

References

Beckmann, Jürgen, and Michael Kellmann, editors. Sport, Recovery and Performance : Interdisciplinary Insights. Routledge, 2018, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315268149.

Colangelo, Jill. “Losing Focus? Feeling Grumpy? You Might Be Overtraining.” Triathlete, 27 Sept. 2021, https://www.triathlete.com/training/recovery/losing-focus-feeling-grumpy-you-might-be-overtraining/.

Jones, Arwel Wyn, and Glen Davison. “Chapter 15 – Exercise, Immunity, and Illness.” Muscle and Exercise Physiology, edited by Jerzy A. Zoladz, Academic Press, 2019, pp. 317–44, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814593-7.00015-3.