Rest, Rolling and Stretching

As "OPT" puts it best "KNOW PAIN, KNOW GAIN"


Today is the second day of rest for me from working out. I'm probably going to restart on Friday because that's when the first 3 and 1 starts again. There comes a time when you have to shut it down and just take some time off, my body picked Sunday as the perfect day. I was starting to get extremely stiff and could feel my overall body recovery suffering(With the H1N1 flue going around I don't want to bash my immune system too badly). Again I can't stress the importance of a good diet but you also need your rest. Shiftwork tends to be tough, I find it extremely difficult to nap before I start my nightshifts, this puts me behind on sleep many hours. It is important while working nights to keep things consistent such as eating and sleeping times. When I'm on nights I may eat a bit extra just to compensate for the lack of sleep and even though I may not feel hungry I still eat at my regular times. Everybody is different you MUST find what works best for you.

Rolling and stretching are very important parts of any exercise and should be part of your daily routines. At our gym we regularly roll and stretch to loosen tight muscles. I started rolling when I used to run marathons, my "IT" bands would get really tight. (IT band runs down the side of your leg from your hip to your knee) They got so tight that my right side started pulling on my knee and put me into physio which was the beginning of the end of my running. So rolling and stretching are very important. A foam roller like the one in the picture you can usually pick up from a physio office for about $20-$30, they last forever so it's pretty cheap. It should come with a list of exercises/rolls which you can do for different muscle groups.

Today I am just cleaning up halloween decorations and cooking food to get ready for the next few days at work. I'm doing some stretching and rolling as my lower body is pretty tight.
Until next time Sean'O out!