The Importance of a Rest Day

Rest days are an aspect of training which we maybe don't consider to be "training" - but ask any high performing athlete, and they'll tell you that Rest Days make the difference between hitting a new PB or picking up a new injury.

 REST

verb
verb: rest; 3rd person present: rests; past tense: rested; past participle: rested; gerund or present participle: resting

    cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep, or recover strength.
    "he needed to rest after the feverish activity"
    synonyms:    relax, take a rest, ease up/off, let up, slow down, pause, have/take a break, unbend, repose, laze, idle, loaf, do nothing, take time off, slack off, unwind, recharge one's batteries, be at leisure, take it easy, sit back, sit down, stand down, lounge, luxuriate, loll, slump, flop, put one's feet up, lie down, go to bed, have/take a nap, nap, catnap, doze, have/take a siesta, drowse, sleep;

noun
noun: rest; plural noun: rests; suffix: -rest; suffix: -rests

    an instance or period of resting.ri
    "you look as though you need a rest"

They say that big, multi-stage events (such as the Tour de France) are won in bed - how a team use their rest and recovery time is one of the leading factors in a winning team. How you spend your rest days can vary depending on which stage of your training you're in; if it's a rest day dring the taper before your marathon, odds are, you'll have too much nervous energy to just do nothing. Alternatively, if it's the day's rest in a multi-day event - your stategy will probably involve a lot more rest in that rest day.

Rest days are easier to plan for and to fit into a training plan when you're working towards an event, however if you train all year round, it can seem harder to find the time.

Why take a rest day?

• Prevent overtraining -  working out every day can lead to fatigue which can increase your risk of injury
  
• Prevent tedium - training with the same routine can lose its appeal if you do the same thing every day, rest days work as a mental break from your workout as well as a physical break
  
• Improve recovery - DOMS (delayed onset muscle soresness) can really affect your training, with appropriate rest days built into your routine, you can avoid training on already sore muscles
  
• Improve sleep - whilst you shouldn't spend your entire rest day asleep, taking a day to catch up on some Zzzz's can really help your training and productivity in the following days

We asked the Tribesports community & a selection of personal trainers how they like to spend their days - and from the results, we've pulled out 3 distinctive types of rest day-ers:

1. The life admin rest day: No exercise? Fine. I'll just do my chores instead.

"Rest day = laundry day. FACT."  

Source Jon B / Tribe Sports

Muscle soreness and recovery

We push ourselves, we do our best and we feel like the kings and queens of the world… until the next day that is when an 80 year old granny can beat us up, everything hurts and crawling out of bed classifies as “achievement unlocked”.
When you exercise small microscopic tears occur in the muscle. The damage and the inflammation along with the tears then causes the pain you feel a day or so afterwards. This effect is called DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and it is a giant pain in the butt, sometimes quite literally.
Muscle soreness kicks in 24-48 hours post workout, how severe it is and how long it lasts depends on your fitness level and how often you work out. Working out for the first time in a long while will nearly cripple you the next day - it is part of the process but it can be helped. You don’t need to be in pain all the time nor do you need to throw yourself into an ice bath, as a matter of fact – really, don’t. The ice bath treatment in the movies because, along with the burning helicopter moments,  it looks good. What you really need is to fight fire with fire and… exercise more.
The fitter you get, the more regularly you exercise the less sore you’ll be the next day and you will eventually be sore no more. Or nearly. Our bodies are designed to work, they are the happiest when they work and throwing them into the fire (intensive exercise) and then ice will be of practically zero benefit. Every process that goes on in your body is a natural one and it will cope with it, provided you let it. Exercise strengthens it, helps it get more agile and robust – muscle soreness is part of this process.

Rest Days

We are used to recovery days and rest days to allow muscles to repair and for the pain to go away but it isn’t the most effective way to get where you want. More than that, the more you rest the higher the chances you are going to give up on the whole fitness thing. What you need to do is train for recovery, walk or jog or do light exercise at a slower pace and with fewer reps and that will aid your recovery.
While we experience muscle soreness it’s easy to start feeling lazy, slow down, take a break… have a doughnut. What happens then is what physicists call the “rolling stone effect”. A stone that’s in motion tends to stay that way and one that’s at rest wants to do nothing but rest.
The moment you slow down the body likes it. Muscle soreness and official “rest days” then become a valid excuse. The moment you give your body permission to rest it stops working and then it doesn’t want to start. In other words, thinking you’re doing the right thing you’re only making your own life more difficult.
Here’s how to change this: Accept that your body is geared up to deal with muscle soreness and fatigue. The the main battle on the issue happens in your head, every single time. Exercising with sore muscles, reasonable training without going all out, is extremely beneficial and will help you get stronger faster and, eventually, reduce the next day soreness.  You just need to power through in the beginning and do something, anything but do it all the same.

Rest, Ice, Elevation, Compression (RICE)

We were first introduced to the term RICE (Rest, Ice, Elevation, Compression) as a post-workout recovery back in the 70s but since then we have come to conclusion that pills, sprays and icing blocks, that have been used to bring down the inflammation in the affected region and help the body recover faster, are most probably having the exact opposite effect, delaying healing of the body and the return to full training by up to two days. Dr. Gabe Mirkin the very man who gave us the term RICE has debunked his own theory.
The post-workout muscle inflammation is important because it’s the first stage of healing and the muscle soreness you face is really part of the body’s natural process to help you get stronger. When you interfere with it (by taking a cold shower, applying a cooling spray or taking an ice bath) you are only slowing down the process and delaying the healing that needs to take place.

Aid Recovery

If you’re experiencing muscle soreness you should not be using anti-inflammatories, you should not be using ice and certainly should not be resting, or only resting for 24 hours. You’ll increase healing by movement without pressure. Doing less intensive exercise will help you get where you want faster and help you develop better quality muscle.
If you can’t go through an exercise routine just yet do something else: go for a walk, swim a little, throw a Frisbee, play catch-ball. The point is that your body is very much like the moving stone of the physicists’ example. You just can't let it come to a complete rest. You will only have to work that much harder to get started again.

Here's a Plan

If this is your 'rest day' you need to work for it. How hard you work depends on how much your muscles ache. below are some suggestions and the good news is you only need to pick one.
My muscles are in agony - Keep them warm and: Go for a walk. Do some stretching. Throw a ball. Take a long swim at the pool.
My muscles are really hurting - Wrap up well and: Go for a jog. Do five push-ups (every two hours). Do ten squats (every two hours).
My muscles are just sore - Business as usual but: use a lighter training routine. Go for a run.
My muscles are aching - Welcome to the club: Do what you always do but level down (if you've been doing them at a higher level) or take a longer break between sets. Add some stretching before and after your routine.
The body’s made to work. It adapts to stimuli which then causes change. You get stronger, faster and fitter only when that stimuli is present and the body is made to adapt to it. So next time you feel the urge to take a break because you’ve worked a little harder than usual think that what you’re really working for the “you” you want. Don’t stop, change pace and keep on working for your goals.

Source

How Does Acupuncture Help With Aches and Discomfort?

Acupuncture constitutes one of the oldest forms of alternative medicine that is still being practiced. It is popularly attributed to Traditional Chinese Medicine of the sixteenth century.

The Primitive Take on Acupuncture
The ancient science believed most of the health issues stemmed from the imbalance of energy. The fine, stainless steel needles were used to stimulate the 14 major energy channels in the body, building immunity and resistance to illnesses while helping the patient overcome apparent problems. Acupuncture was known to be an effective remedy for different health concerns ranging from minor aches and discomfort to major health problems.

The Modern Take on Acupuncture
The conventional science today explains the same phenomenon with different words. Instead of talking about "chi" (energy), the modern science explains the process of acupuncture as a means to stimulate specific anatomic sites or nerves in the body. This process seems to have profound impact on the health and well-being of the patient.

The modern science has accepted acupuncture as an unparalleled mode of treatment. The process is extremely intricate, demanding years of learning and expertise to locate specific target points on the body. Even the slightest miscalculation can have drastic consequences. This is why it is recommended to seek reputed professionals for acupuncture treatments. The process is now covered under the medical insurance offered by most companies, which explains the modern viewpoint on acupuncture.

 

Here's how acupuncture is known to help with aches and discomforts.

Acupuncture for Aches and Discomforts
Acupuncture is known to help with aches and discomfort just the way it works for other health problems. The acupuncturist starts by analyzing the body for problem areas, identifying the root cause of the ache. S/he may use additional equipment to identify other characteristics of the body in order to devise the correct treatment.

Small, fine and sterile needles will be used to reach and stimulate the nerves under your skin. This process is usually painless or may be accompanied with minor discomfort. The needles are left for a period of 5 to 40 minutes depending on the need. This does not only help invigorate the nerve cells and muscle tissues, it also steadies the blood flow, ensuring appropriate flow of nutrients to and from all parts of the body.

 In some cases, placement of needles in one part of the body may be able to help relieve tension in another part. The treatment is known to help in managing the pain associated with arthritis, stress, inappropriate posture, fibromyalgia, dental treatment and post-surgery problems. Although the relationship between acupuncture and pain relief is unclear, it nevertheless has helped several thousands of people in achieving optimal health.

In chronic cases, acupuncture will most likely be recommended in addition to other treatments. Acupuncture is not a holistic cure for all health problems. It may, however, be able to help you keep numerous complications at bay. Acupuncture does help in relieving aches and discomfort by revitalizing internal body functions for overall betterment.

Source Dr. Manuel Compas, D. C.

Why Caffeine is bad when it comes to our wellbeing

Charles Czeisler, a neuroscientist and sleep expert from Harvard Medical School explains: When the nature of work changed from a schedule built around the sun to an indoor job timed by a clock, humans had to adapt. The widespread use of caffeinated food and drinkin combination with the invention of electric light allowed people to cope with a work schedule set by the clock, not by daylight or the natural sleep cycle. In addition, scientific studies have shown that the power boost of caffeine is connected with its interference with adenosine  a chemical in our bodies, which has hypnotic effect and works as a natural sleeping pill. Caffeine actually ceases adenosine and in this way our alertness gets increased and our sleep habits are disrupted. As we all know, there's no such thing as a free lunch and we pay for this extra wakefulness.

Health concerns:

Experts from the FDA claim that our health is in danger as long as the consumption remains between 200 mg to 300 mg of caffeine per day, which is equal to around two or three cups of coffee. They also say that caffeine contains components such as Niacin, Magnesium and Potassium, which play a vital role for our health: Potassium is essential for nerves function, Magnesium is of importance in our bones and teeth and Niacin aids in the metabolism of sugars and has an essential role for the proper function of intestines. If consumed moderately, caffeine acts as an anti-oxidant, sucking up free radicals. Unfortunately, the refreshing effects of caffeine urge us to constantly increase consumption in order to eliminate brain fog and fatigue.

  

 Caffeine is an addictive drug, which alters our brains natural state and stimulates it in a manner similar to mechanisms employed by cocaine and heroin: it provokes a release of adrenalin, so that the body remains active and alert. It also manipulates dopamine production and thats how we experience temporary high levels of energy; our productivity improves and we become more coordinated. Caffeine affects our whole body, stimulating the cardiovascular system, raising our blood pressure and heart rate. This process speeds up our basal metabolic rate and we burn more calories. As a result we obtain a wakeup jolt, because caffeine evokes a stress response in our adrenal hormones, the so called fight-or-flight response. This is how our body prepares for action and remains in the state of alertness, no matter if we are sitting on our desks, or reading our newspaper on the sofa. When stress hormones remain elevated for long periods of time, our bodies experience chronic stress, which provokes exhaustion and craving for the next sip of coffee, coke or soda.

Exactly how caffeine affects us depends on many factors, including the amount ingested, our individual peculiarities (sex, weight and height, age) and whether we are smokers or non-smokers. Studies show that some people are more sensitive to its effects than others. However, when consumed frequently our body develops tolerance to caffeine and this represents a significant health risk. At doses of 600 mg, or 6 cups of coffee, caffeine can lead to:

- Restlessness and anxiety

- Heartburn caffeine is alkaline, which spurs the stomach to react by dumping more hydrochloric acid as a neuralizer

- Severe headaches and sweating

- High blood pressure

- Heart problems and rapid palpitations

- Nausea

- Muscle stiffness caffeine increases the loss of calcium and magnesium, which has a negative impact on muscle tissues, impeding their relaxation mechanism.

- Withdrawal symptoms may also occur, even when moderate amounts of caffeine are withdrawn for 18 to 48 hours. One may feel severe exhaustion, depression and poor concentration.

Strategies for reduction of caffeine intake and tips to give it up completely:

In order to gradually reduce the amount of caffeine intake a good tactic is to reduce the number of coffee cups by one every week (For example: 4 cups a day in the first week, 3 in the second, 2 in the third, 1 in the fourth). In this way the withdrawal symptoms will be much less severe.

Another strategy which can help our body get rid of caffeine addiction is to use less coffee. Every morning we should use put less teaspoons of coffee into our coffee machine, until it is so weak that we can live without it.

We can also switch to tea, as it has lower amounts of caffeine. Every day we can switch over one of our coffee breaks to tea. Once we achieve a successful transition to tea, we should repeat the process to transition to caffeine-free tea.

Sleep is a very important natural source of energy and that's why we need to ensure a quality and regular sleep while we are transitioning to our caffeine-free state.

 

In addition we could include morning aerobic exercise, like cycling or running. This will make us feel full of energy, because sport unlocks the production of endorphins (one of the hormones of happiness) and we will be able to start our day on a natural high.

We also have to make sure that we don't lose our connection with nature. In fact, many people suffer from depression because of the unnatural life our modern society leads us into. Thus, make it a ritual to go outside and deep breathe fresh air in the morning.

Change your diet. Drink orange Juice, or eat fresh fruits in order to nourish your body with vitamin C. Coffee is a habit. Replace it with a small glass of fresh pressed orange juice. Have a grain or oats based breakfast (with a low glycemic index). It will keep your brain nourished all morning. Avoid sugary breakfasts like donuts or high sugar cakes or muffins. They lead to a rapid buildup and slump in our blood sugar levels. Also, have an afternoon snack. 

Keep an apple or banana or a handful of cashew nuts ready for the mid-afternoon snack time instead of coffee. Finally, drink more water: carry a water bottle around and take sips regularly.

Source Charles Czeisler, a neuroscientist and sleep expert from Harvard Medical School