Late last week I came down with a cold, one that has completely zapped my energy. Determined to keep up my exercise routine, I pushed through for a couple days and kept up my exercise routine. By Monday, it wasn’t going to happen and a rest day was in order. So Monday and Tuesday were rest days. Feeling a little better, I tried a morning run on Wednesday. Big Mistake! I set my self back days by not allowing myself the rest my body needed to get better.
Sometimes we get so focused on a future goal that we don’t take the time to listen to our bodies and rest when we need it. Our bodies need rest in order to heal. Not listening to your body will often delay your goals worse than taking a day or three to rest. This goes for illnesses as well as injury.
Several years ago, when I was just returning to running and exercise after many years of a sedimentary lifestyle (well as sedimentary as a life can be running around after little kids) I ended up with a stress fracture in my ankle/lower leg area. I didn’t listen to my body when it began to ache and twinge. I tried taping, bracing, etc, and just kept running through the pain. In the end, I had to take two months off of running to allow my body to heal. Had I listened and added more rest into my week, I could have avoided the months away.
So, take a rest day when you need it! Listen to your body. Small aches are to be expected as you exercise, but pain is not normal and should not be ignored. See a doctor right away, and allow yourself time to rest!