Important note to all of you, on the back of a long chat with one of my distance clients just now (and numerous clients before), as well as personal experience…
The best way to achieve optimal health and fitness is to BE KIND TO YOURSELF, and that does not always involve pushing hard, striving to be quicker / slimmer / stronger, or beasting yourself. It is absolutely NOT a failure to step away from “go go go” mode, to tone down your training, and to take a complete break from time to time.
Signs that you might need to decompress a little are:
– Body not changing shape / size despite eating right and training lots.
– No desire to exercise, when usually you enjoy it.
– Low mood.
– Feeling fed up and frustrated with your body.
– Feeling shattered.
– Feeling like you are stuck in a rut.
Sometimes just looking after yourself by going for a walk, reading your favourite book, taking 5 minutes to do some deep breathing is far more beneficial than doing a 20 minute HIIT session.
I know people struggle with this concept, especially if their goal is weight loss. “How can I possibly lose weight if I stop exercising?” is a question I am often asked.
Perhaps a smarter question would be “How can I possibly lose weight if I am constantly under stress?”
Our bodies are very, very clever. And you’ll find them far more compliant when they are content and not under threat.