Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 26: Listen to Your Body & Stretch!

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Janice • 1 Comment

Hey guys! How are you? Are you sore from yesterday’s desk workout challenge? I was really feeling my workout and week of training today – I tried to go for a run and had zero power in my legs. Then, 1 mile in, I felt a sharp pain in my left calf – I know that pain, and know that if I run through it, 2-3k down the road that sharp pain would become a calf cramp. In the past that caused me a muscle tear and two weeks away from running….

This is why today’s challenge is to listen to your body!

It’s really important to listen to your body, to rest when your body needs it and to recognize your overtraining symptoms. Here’s a list of some typical symptoms:

• Feeling washed-out, tired, drained, lack of energy
• Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Sudden drop in performance
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
• Decrease in training capacity / intensity
• Moodiness and irritability
• Depression
• Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
• Decreased appetite
• Increased incidence of injuries.
• A compulsive need to exercise

My typical symptoms are anxiety, difficulty sleeping, irritability, muscle cramps and illness. So today I’m taking a day off to STRETCH! I may even go to bed early tonight.

Listening to your body does not mean lay on the couch and do nothing – it means taking an active rest day – getting some good stretching in which also helps to prevent injuries, and preserves your range of motion.

Tonight I want you to take a LONG luxurious bath or shower, then afterwards take some time to stretch: calf stretches, quads, hamstrings, downward facing dog, child pose, stretch your arms, reach your toes…. STRRRRREETTTCCCHHH!