R & R - Good Ole Rest and Relaxation.

How important is it?

VERY.

Life is busy and it seems each year it just gets busier. Work, family, school, and other commitments just eat the day away and leave you with no time to sit back and relax.

How does it relates to health and fitness?

Getting enough rest is imperative to living a healthy lifestyle and when you do not relax and get enough sleep you are putting yourself at risk for illness as well as other side effects.

Believe it or not but the body needs enough rest each night to function properly. The amount of rest each individual needs every night differs, however the average adult needs approximately 7-8 hours of sleep each night to restore their body with the energy it needs to handle all of the demands of living each day.

However, most individuals cut back on their sleep to pack more activities into their day. Unfortunately, this runs the body down allowing more viruses and diseases to attack the body because the immune system is not functioning as well as it should. Then, the individual gets sick and misses days or even weeks of all of those important activities. When you get enough rest your body runs as it should and your immune system is stronger and able to fight off infections more easily.

You ever workout after a few days rest and feel absolutely amazing. You say to yourself "WOW I really am in good shape I feel great and didnt "lose" any strength or endurance." When you should actually be saying "WOW I should rest in between sessions more often."

Also, when you don’t get enough rest you have difficult concentrating, thinking clearly, and even remembering things. You might not notice this at first or blame it on your busy schedule, but the more sleep you miss and rest you miss out on the more pronounced this symptoms will become.

In addition, a lack of rest and relaxation can really work a number on your mood. It is a scientific fact that when individuals miss out on good nightly rest their personality is affected and they are generally more grumpy, less patient, and snap easier. As a result, missing out on rest to fit in all those activities might make you a bear to be around, which is not much fun at all.

You ever try to work the next morning after 3 or 4 hours sleep after a night of heavy drinking?

NOT A GOOD LOOK

So, the next time you think it is a good idea to stay up late to complete a task or hang out with friends, think again. Of course, one night is not going to hurt you, but night after night of not getting enough rest really will.

I make it a point most days to take a 20-30 min snoozer with my boxer MIA on the couch, even if my phone is blowing up from a client wanting to do a last minute session. Sometimes you have to learn to just simply shut the engine down for a few minutes. I love it and feel energized for my afternoon and night sessions and she loves it because she is alone most of the morning. It brings more quality and energy to my work and most importantly my spirit!