I just couldn’t keep going.
Hey Friend! Its been a minute! This past week was the first week of school and the week before that we took the kids on a quick camping trip. Needless to say, I have been going non-stop. Thank the Lord for Spark!
It all caught up with me at the end of this past week though. While I was working out early Thursday morning, I hit a wall. I made it through the warmup and first round but then I knew I couldn’t continue. My neck and hip flexors have been causing me issues for the past couple of months and I had been proactive in trying to prevent it from getting worse, but I got off track with the busyness of the last two weeks. Hence the wall Thursday morning. I knew I couldn’t ignore them any longer, so I tossed my workout plan and switched to some self care.
Why am I telling you this? Because I don’t want you to make the same mistake! Stretching is as important to being fit as being strong is. You need both flexibility and strength for quality of life and the ability to complete everyday tasks.
Here are a few things you can do to avoid “the wall”:
Make stretching a regular activity. In addition to warming up and stretching after a workout (which I had been doing!), set aside some focused time for stretching. Here is a 5 Minute Stretch Routine to try.
Foam Rolling. This is the one activity that when I do it I always think “Why don’t I do this more!?” Here is an article to get you started.
Always listen to what your body is telling you. There is no win in “pushing through”. Pause throughout the day to stretch. Take a day off each week to recover.
Another thing to consider is getting a quality massage (not just someone rubbing your back). Find a knowledgeable massage therapist in your area who can help you release the tension in your muscles and undo some of those knots. That’s my next step!
No matter where you are in your fitness journey, stretching matters!
Your Friend,
P.S. Are you ready to get back into a routine and feeling good? This is my daily regimen: https://my.advocare.com/stay-the-course-bundle/99915.html?D=1005213