on listening to your body & recovery

I've spoken previously on motivation and determination here, and I definitely feel the same. it's important to recognize that even on days when you are feeling lazy you should keep moving. and yes, pushing yourself is very important to get stronger and progress.

but along with that, it's important to listen to your body and what you actually NEED to do. this is something that I've struggled with. something I've struggled with throughout my entire workout journey, to be frank.

over the past few months, I have changed up my routine A LOT. new job, long commutes, training for multiple events, engagement, wedding planning, looking for an apartment, and it's been EXHAUSTING.

so with that, I have noticed that my training has been WAY harder. and, yes, I am pushing myself and working with new weights and pushing my pace, but I am tired ALL OF THE TIME. And that's not normal! 

I had noticed a lot of changes in my mood and appetite and motivation and in how my training was going. (So many hand tears) 

So I knew that I needed to take a break. Looking back over the past year, I hadn't taken a real break (rest for more than a day or two) in, well, almost a year. (Right around my move down to San Diego) which was not including the time in December when I was basically vomiting the entire month due to every type of illness I could manage to get (likely because I was exhausted and my immune system was compromised). 

I made the decision that after my June competition that I would take about a week off. So after my snatch set, I took the whole week off from any real lifting. Which was not easy for me; 1) because I work in fitness so I'm surrounded with people working out all day 2) I do really enjoy exercise 3) it's part of my routine and I am a creature of habit. 

 And what did I do on my rest week? 

Not a lot. Sometimes a walk. Sometimes some yoga. Sometimes a little bit of mace swinging. By the end of the week I was doing some fun flows with the kettlebell at light weights. And that's it. I didn't do anything crazy and recovered all week. 

I also didn't change up my eating habits. I ate basically the same things as I usually do as far as I could tell. 

I checked my Heart Rate Variance on an app (HRV4Training) to see where it thought I was in my recovery as well. Just to have some unbiased science in on my recovery, too. 

And by the end of the week I had more energy, my moods were in a better space, my appetite had gotten more normal.  

I just felt much better. My training all last week was back to regular strength, I haven't been waking up tired. It's been awesome. 

If you are noticing that your training is taking a hit, if you're tired all the time, if you're just wholly unmotivated for weeks at a time, if you're moody and just feeling off ~ it may be time for a break

I know there's fear of stopping when you're in a routine, but i promise it does you more good than continuing to train while you're burnt out. Take the few days off and let your body recover fully so you can actually enjoy your training. It's well worth it. 

Tiff's Tips: Create a Fitness Community

getting fit is not easy. changing your routine and your lifestyle and making time for things you don't necessarily enjoy or want to do everyday.

so how do you keep going on the days that are tough? 

by creating a fitness community for yourself!

now what is a fitness community?? 

a fitness community is simply a support system for your health and fitness goals. 

you can create this a few different ways!

1. first (and most obvious) way is with your family and friends! get them in on your fitness! have them workout with you. or even just remind you to get up and go to the gym. or get healthy recipes to share. or you can create fitness challenges between your friends and fam so you can all feel a bit healthier. maybe you can go on walks on your lunch breaks with your co-workers! the possibilities are endless. 

2. go to workout classes at your local gym and create your own in-person fitness community! people who go to workout classes are some of the most consistent gym-goers! if you start going to classes regularly you will definitely start recognizing people and make friends and they'll notice if you start skipping classes regularly! 

3. get a trainer! they'll keep you accountable AND will tell you what to do when you go to the gym so you have no excuse to not get it done. they will support you and make sure you are going to hit the goals you set for yourself. (btw, hiii! i have in person & online training available!) 

4. fitness app communities! there are about fifty trillion different fitness apps out there right now, and with that, SO many people on them and that means that there are SO MANY people you can connect with. FitBit has challenge boards, Nike Run Club allows you to get people to cheer for you while you run, MyFitnessPal has forums to meet people. Just to name a few, because there are honestly too many apps for me to even keep track of. Find the one(s) you like and make friends on it, so you have an awesome virtual support system. 

5. facaebook group communities! just like apps there are even more facebook groups. if there is something you like on the internet, there's probably a subgroup of those people who are also exercising. seriously, check in those groups if there is a fitness based subgroup or just search for it. you already have one common interest, might as well add fitness into the mix! 

6. instagram communities! instagram has become my favorite for my fitness community. just by searching through a hashtag you can find so many people who are interested in the same kind of fitness you are. instagram has an AMAZING fitness community and you can find so many people going through the same thing you are. and instagram is great to use as a log for your gym days and/or for your food. it's a great tool to use! 

so there ya have it. 

having some people from ALL these groups is definitely ideal, but sometimes that's just not reality for all of us, so even if you can't get your friends and family to get involved in your health and fitness lifestyle changes you can find people all over the place to help you be as successful as possible!

want more support? contact me on my instagram or facebook or email me at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com to find out about getting in on a personalized training program!