Deload Week

One of the best things you can do for your body is gift it with a deload week. I find that this becomes a necessity after awhile because my body could easily become burnt out with all the lifting I do on a weekly basis. Of course, Sundays are always my rest days where I don't even touch a weight and my toughest workout is a long walk or hike with Layla. 

But about every 7th week I factor in a deload week to give my muscles a break. I don't exactly have the weights or workouts planned out but I simply just let my body rest and if I'm not feeling a workout I don't push myself. I stick to light cardio maybe a couple times that week and I might throw in one or two light lifting days. I sleep in so I can catch up on sleep, and I give my body a break. 

I also find that this helps my mental sanity. We're human and there all comes a time where we lose motivation to go to the gym, feel burnt out, and just want a break. I like to schedule deload weeks because a) it keeps me from getting to a point like that and b) it gives me something to look forward to. I would rather take scheduled breaks to give myself a mental and physical break then keep pushing and pushing week after week until I get to a point where I'd dread my workout. Plus, I'm always refreshed and rejuvenated after a deload week and ready to tackle the regular grind! 

Injury can be another real threat to any athlete so of course allowing your body rest is one of the most important things you can do in injury prevention. If you keep pushing your body til the brink of exhaustion, you are basically asking for an injury. During my deload week, I focus on stretching, foam rolling, and taking care of any tender spots. I'll be honest and say that I don't always take the time to stretch or foam roll like I should but I really am trying to get better! Deload week especially helps me catch up and I will sometimes do some cross training exercises to strengthen any weak muscle areas. 

My point is, though, that rest does not equal weakness. You see so often that people brag about their streak of no rest days, and I don't know how they do it! I LOVE my rest days and I look forward to them every week. I also love my deload week because I know that come the next Monday I'll be itching to get back to my regular programming. I did use to have problems with taking rest days back when I thought I had to "earn my food" but now I'm all about rest days! 

I've learned to love my deload weeks because I've learned to love my body. I know that my body needs rest, repair, and care so I make it a priority. Sometimes unscheduled deload weeks happen like when I was sick a little over a week ago but I'm feeling so much better now, and I'll take another deload week in about 5 weeks. It's taken me awhile to learn some of these things and how to treat my body properly but I'm glad that I've learned it at any rate. 

You only get one body so it's important to take care of it!