So, if you haven’t tried yoga yet, it’s probably because you feel like you don’t want to “waste” a workout hour on just stretching. That’s normally what people like us (Pretty Hard Workers!) think about yoga… before trying it.
But, when you arrive at class and see others doing poses like the one above (crow pose), you can’t deny that yoga has some intense benefits. What other kind of workout would help you hold your body in a balancing pose like that?
Today’s guest blogger drives home the point – if you haven’t tried yoga yet because you think it’s too easy… it’s time to change the way you think about this age-old practice:
There are many outside variables than can effect your health and weight. Stress, lack of rest and inflammation, are a few symptoms that warn us it might be time to slow down. Exhaustion can have the opposite effect on our healthy living efforts and if we don’t address these warning signs, our bodies will.
Learn the best way to take care of your body during times of stress and intense training.
Sometimes taking time for rest and recovery feels like a set-back or even an act of weakness. But, if we maintain that sort of thinking our body will get us to take our needed rest one way or another – and chances are, we won’t like that method very much at all.
To keep from feeling like you’re slacking off, schedule your rest days into your workout routine. That way you won’t feel like you should be doing something else.
When we get into a zone it can be difficult to balance our activities. Intense training requires focus and once we have it, there’s no telling how long it will be until we resurface from the gym. While focus and dedication are both excellent qualities, anything done in excess can quickly turn sour.
Our expert and assistant coach, Marty Beene gives us strict orders regarding workouts and rest:
Rest and recovery are an important part of your intense training routine. Learn why taking the necessary downtime from your training will help decrease your recovery time and how to know when your rest time is long over-do.
As you dive into your workout routine and make it a habit you start to hear more and more about the balance between workout and rest. For someone who is new to an intense training program it is important to find that balance. We want to make sure we don’t allow ourselves excuses to skip training days, however we don’t want to risk injury either.
Learn from our experts how to find the right workout and rest balance that’s right for you:
A Rest Day After Every Work Out Day? Maybe Not
Resting because you have had a work out can present a large dilemma wrought with excuses and rationalizations justifying “resting”. Split routine work outs were started way back with Arnold and “the guys” lifting 400 and 600 pounds. Most of us do not use such behemoth weights.
If you are not working out intensely and resting during your work out, you do not need a rest day(s). Puttering on the treadmill and showing up for yoga are not work outs requiring rest. Boot camp, Insanity, and lifting 50% or more of your body weight equates to an intense work out which should not be completed more than 3 days per week.
Resting from an intense work out such as a “CrossFit” type of work out, or a kickboxing class is essential to prevent injury. Active rest at least one day per week is best, focusing on a full range of motion stretching routine. Indeed a leisurely bike ride or chasing your kids around the park followed by stretching would be an excellent rest day.
Jodean Petersen, B.S. ACSM-CPT, Health Coach, Jodean Petersen
Rest is as Important as Work
Your body needs a right balance of hard work and real rest. I recommend taking at least one full day off per week from all exercise. I think of it as a “sabbath”. It is wise to take a day to quiet the mind AND the body with down time. Ideally, do about 4 cardio hours a week, 3 strong strength sessions, and daily stretching. Planning ahead will allow the balance!
Nancy Radding, Fitness Director, The Oaks at Ojai
How did you find the right balance between workout and rest during your intense training? read more →
As busy as we all are – we can’t be effective without sleep. That goes for everything from work to working out.
Our guest bloggers are here to share the importance of sleep and show us the link between how much sleep we get and our weight.
Today’s guest blogger is a kickboxing instructor who shares his thoughts on why we love this pretty hard workout (hint, hint – it’s the results!)
Turn on the Fat Burning Furnace – Start Kickboxing
Kickboxing has become a phenomenon in the exercise arena lately, and it’s a fantastic way to burn an enormous amount of calories in a short period of time. I’ve been teaching the format for the last year, and people constantly ask me how many calories they burn in the 55 minutes we’re working. My answer is between 650 – 750 calories!
I think the reason people enjoy kickboxing so much is that it gives them the rush of minor martial arts training without having to worry about sparring or getting hurt. Furthermore, kickboxing, probably more than any other cardio oriented class offered in a gym setting, is a great vehicle for getting your aggressions and stresses out. And for those looking to truly burn fat, the heart rate stays elevated as the attendees really don’t get the opportunity to slow down.
And really, no matter how long someone has been attending a class, most instructors, including myself, vary the routines on a semi-regular basis thereby always presenting some sort of new challenge for the attendees which truly helps with both calorie burn as well as mental burnout in that they don’t wind up getting bored as if they were on a treadmill, elliptical machine or even a cycling class.
So to sum it all up, kickboxing is a safe, high intensity, major calorie burning way to exercise that at the end of it all is just plain fun!
– Lando, Founder, Rebel Luxe, LLC / Rocker Rags.com
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We agree with Lando – kickboxing is fun! And with all of the benefits it brings – it’s easy to see why so many of us are hooked on this fat-burning, toning exercise. read more →
Today’s guest bloggers share their experiences to show you how kickboxing can help you burn calories and reclaim your body after a pregnancy, weight gain or even injury. See what they have to say about just how many calories you can burn and why kickboxing is such an effective exercise: (more…) read more →
Doing pretty hard workouts can get tiring – and your body needs ample rest to see the full benefits of all of your work!
As today’s guest blogging fitness expert tells us, you can combat fatigue and over-training with a recovery protocol designed to minimize muscle soreness, reduce the likelihood of injury, and prepare your body for the next training session. Here’s his plan:
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