As a fitness trainer, I’m constantly surrounded by motivated individuals that have made fitness a primary focus in their lives. These people don’t see working out as a chore, they feed off of the energy and confidence they gain as a result of it. The endorphins released during and after a workout can make exercising addictive, which is why so many people who make a habit of it eventually end up pushing themselves too far. It’s definitely inspiring to have such positive influences pushing me to be the best version of myself but like so many others. I have found myself overdoing it on many occasions. I found myself in an unhealthy mindset where I would get stressed out and feel defeated if I missed a day.

I chose fitness as a lifestyle and a career because I genuinely feel that the addition of exercise creates an immeasurable improvement in the quality of life. Exercise makes you feel happy, energized, enabled, attractive, and empowered. But overtraining hindered my progress and in turn, hindered my confidence. I would check the scales nothing was changing.   In fact, my body fat percentage was going up. It wasn’t until I realized that recovery is necessary for growth that I began to see progress again. Remember, you’re doing this to help your body function at its optimum potential, not to hurt it.. 

Your body needs time to repair itself so that your workouts will continue to be effective, so feel good about your rest days! Let your body heal so that it has the capability to get stronger!