Here’s Why We Should All Participate in National Relaxation Day

Happy National Relaxation Day loves! AKA, one of the best days of the year! In honor of this amazing day, I wanted to write about how relaxation is SO beneficial for your health and that we should all be taking time to participate in this great holiday.

A lot of people work themselves way too hard and don’t take nearly enough time to just relax, breathe, and have time to themselves. These are all of the reasons why relaxing is something we all have to do in order to be healthy…and keep our sanity! :P

Relaxing = Time to Heal

If you’re someone that values a healthy lifestyle, then you probably get to the gym quite a bit. A lot of you tell me about how much you’re going to the gym but just not seeing much of a change. That could because you’re not taking enough time to relax!

Taking a day to relax is extremely important in your fitness journey because you have to give your body and muscles time to heal. If you never take some time off they’ll just be overworked and you’ll have trouble progressing in the gym. So kick off those gym shoes and kick back in a recliner today to celebrate National Relaxation Day!

Reduces Stress Hormones

Everyone has to deal with stress in their lives. Nobody is immune to the feeling or the hormones that get released when you’re stressed out. You might not think much of these stress hormones until I tell you that they cause you to either gain weight or hold onto weight even when you’re trying to lose it.

So if you seem to be plateauing and can’t shed those last few pounds, maybe what you need is to spend a day relaxing instead of spending your day doing cardio. Get rid of those stress hormones that are stressing you out even more!

Improves Your Mood

Have you ever tried to get motivated to do something when you were in a bad mood? I know that for me, it’s nearly impossible. If you never get time to relax you’ll never be able to let go of that pent up anxiety, stress, and exhaustion that bring your mood down.

If you take some time to relax every once in awhile – especially today – then you’ll improve your mood. When you’re in a good mood, it’s SO much easier to get motivated and get hyped up to work hard and push yourself to accomplish your goals.

There’s a reason today is a national holiday! Take a break from the hustle and bustle of your everyday lives and relax. Your body and mind will thank you for it!

Why Stretch?

The benefits of daily exercise are well known, however the benefits of a regular stretching routine are far less known.

I used to avoid stretching. It was the last thing I wanted to do after a hard workout or before. After a busy day I just wanted to get my workout done and would skip stretching to save time. This was a big mistake. A mistake made by many and here is why:

Physical Benefits:

1. a)  Increases blood flow to the muscles; this will bring nutrients to the muscles and therefore speed up recovery of sore muscles.

2. b)  Warms up the muscles causing the muscles to be more flexible and decreasing the risk of soft tissue injury, strains and sprains.

3. c)  Increased flexibility will contribute to better balance and coordination

4. d)  Helps to keep spine in alignment which will increase good posture

5. e)  Allows the organs of the body to work more efficiently

Mental Benefits:
a) Decreases stress. When we are stressed we tense up our muscles that can lead to headaches and back aches. Stretching can alleviate these issues.

1. b)  Calms the mind. Just 10-15 minutes of stretching can help to relax the body and mind

2. c)  Allows the mind to take a break and re-charge, increasing mental focus.

Now you know the importance and benefits of stretching – HOW do you stretch? WHAT do you stretch? There are many options, and it is important to do what fits best into your schedule.

Before Exercise- Do a short warm up to get the heart pumping and blood flowing, such as short jog, or 30 jumping jacks. Follow with 10-15 minutes of stretching starting with your big muscles and joints in your legs and hips. You can use both dynamic and static stretches to maximize your stretches. From there you can move into your shoulders, arms and core.

After Exercise- During your cool down after exercise, compete a short series of stretches 10-15 minutes to prevent the muscles you worked from tightening up too quickly. Use this time to get deeper into the stretch.

Some people set a side 1-2 days a week for an hour session of just stretching. There are several options available. You can do on your own or look for some classes offered at your local gym. I am finally starting to get into yoga!  Whatever you choose to do, make sure to include stretching in your daily routine – your body and mind will thank you!

Full Body Workout

The most successful and fastest way to build muscle and burn calories is to do a full body workout. Losing fat cannot be isolated to one particular place. It is through good diet and exercise that weight will be lost all over the body. You can isolate muscle tone, and you can get the most for your efforts from a workout that incorporates a variety of muscles and works the cardiovascular system as well. What follows is a simple intense workout you can do anywhere, anytime and your whole body will work hard!

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING. Increase your heart rate; work a variety of muscle groups together. The key is to not do the same thing everyday, but change up the exercises. I have included a basic full body workout. I also have included how to change it up and still be just as effective.

After a nice warm up and stretching do the following

12 minutes of work

15 Thrusters (the heavier the weight, the more challenging) 15 Butterfly Sit-ups 10 Push-ups

Repeat until time is up
Day 2. warm up, stretch, and get your blood flowing

12 minutes of work

15 Burpees 15 Air Squats 10 Tricep Dips

Repeat until time is up
Use a variety of combinations with just 6 different movements. Regardless of how you stack them, you will get full bodywork out. Challenge yourself by adding heavier weight to the thrusters and adding some weight to the air squats.

Thrusters Instructional Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmshlQtCHrw

Burpee Instructional Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg0f_LYhqQA

Butterfly Sit- up Instructional Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HDZODOx7Zw (if you do not have an abmat, you can simply use a rolled up towel, or you can do without it completely

Air Squat Instructional Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDdSZmWNYQI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh00_rniF8E (full push up)