MYTH: “Rest is for the weak”
MYTH: “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger”
MYTH: “It’s the days when the body aches, desire is low, you feel tired & weak…those are the days when champions train.”
Statements like these are meant to motivate people, but they go against my belief as an acrobat and as a personal trainer. “Champions” (RE: Olympians) have teams of professional trainers and health professionals by their side and I don’t believe they would let them train when they are exhausted and weak. This is simply a recipe for injury.
For us regular folks without our own personal team of health professionals, how do we know when to train and when to rest? The answer is simple: we need to listen carefully to the conversation our bodies are continually trying to have with us.
· For exercise: You have probably noticed how your muscles are sore following a good workout. Trainers refer to this as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). This occurs because the weight-lifting process creates micro-tears in the muscle, which is good because the muscle fiber that grows to repair the tear makes the muscle bigger and stronger. This repair process occurs during rest days. Not a believer in rest days? Then you are just continually tearing down the muscle, not giving it a chance to rebuild or repair, and are missing an essential part of the strength-building process. It is so important to take your rest days and listen to your body.
· For dancers and acrobats: Students of my aerial and fitness classes hear me regularly say: “Discomfort is normal, pain is not.” It’s uncomfortable when you hold the pole between your legs and lay back? That’s normal...there are a lot of nerve endings in the upper thighs. On the other hand: do you have tendonitis you are ignoring? Or it’s incredibly painful when you <insert body part> while doing <insert movement>? Please STOP immediately. Most skills will simply come in due time with practice but pushing your body too hard or too fast will not serve you or your goals.
· On injury rehabilitation: If you have been injured, please seek out a good physical therapist and follow their guidelines to a T. If you are doing more than you are cleared for, you could make your injury worse. However, I will caution that if your physical therapist says you are fine but you don’t feel fine, get a second opinion, and a third if needed. Advocate for yourself and listen to your body.
However, there ARE things you can do on your days off to help you get (or stay) in shape and/or to become a better athlete or acrobat:
· Cross-train. Did strength training or an aerial workout today? Go for a bike ride tomorrow.
· Train “around” injuries. For example: Is your knee giving you grief? Train your upper body and core instead (this is how I came out of three knee surgeries in killer shape).
· Foam Roll any day and every day!
· Try yoga or stretching. Working on flexibility is a great way to make gains on rest days.
· Take up a self-care routine or use the time off to assess (or re-assess) goals and where you are with them. I love guided journals for this.
It may take some time to learn how to really hear what your body is telling you, but you will be better off for it once you get the hang of it. So let go of the guilt you have surrounding rest days and enjoy them! XOXO, Mindy
Article by Mindy Cochran. Mindy is a practitioner, teacher, and performer of aerial silks, aerial hammock, and aerial hoop; as well as a health columnist for Montana Woman Magazine. Her column shares expertise for elevating health & wellness that she has acquired through her certifications as a personal trainer, nutrition coach and life coach. To connect with Mindy on Instagram, please visit: www.instagram.com/aerial.mindy; or visit her Linktree here.
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