Aspire, Perspire, Nourish Yourself

Thankful for A Day Off

Once a week I build in one day off from my training schedule. No running, no weight training, no strenuous workouts. By the end of the training week my body is begging for a day off, especially during marathon training time.

This morning as I hobbled out of bed, gingerly walking on feet that ache from old plantar fasciitis injuries, my head was swimming with all the stuff I needed to do on my day off to catch up with life. Write the blog, make some appetizers for the afternoon gathering with friends, do some work for the upcoming PTA meeting, help my son with his homework, do some laundry, and the list goes on. Yesterday I thought that my first priority was sleeping in. Today, while lying in bed, thinking of this mega list, somehow sleeping in shifted to the bottom of my list.

Rest Days are Important

Although I fill my training rest days with all the other stuff in life that needs doing, I enjoy these days. I get to sit at my computer with a great cup of coffee and just write or maybe I start the day with getting the laundry going. The start of this day is peaceful as the rest of the family sleeps in. It’s still my time and I get to pick what to do.

Psychologically, rest days are important because they give my mind a break from the routine and focus of the ‘rigid’ training schedule I set for myself. The routine is particularly rigid when there’s a running goal ahead. My mind won’t let me quit when the GPS on my watch says 8.78 miles run. I might as well round it up to 9 miles!

Physiologically, rest days are critical for my body to recover from the stress I cause to my muscles and joints. Without the rest days, my muscles would be constantly in need of energy. Instead of building muscle I would be breaking down (catabolizing) muscle. It took my Type A personality wisdom for this message to sink in. As I got older, my body could not keep up with the constant stress and as a result I got injured more often.

Active Recovery also Important

Besides building in a full day of rest in my routine, I also build in easier training days throughout the week. A hard day of running is followed by an easier day of cross training. It’s amazing how refreshed I feel and ready I am to do another hard day after the easier training day.

Having said this, there are times when I have pushed too hard on easier training days. As I drag myself through a tough workout the next day, I remind myself to stick to the plan: there are days to recover and days to go to the max!

Mark Your Calendar

For those of us with jobs, families to care for, house to keep tidy, and volunteer commitments to complete, fitness and nutrition goals may seem daunting. Make fitness part of your daily life and remember to schedule proper rest days. You can’t keep a hectic schedule without regular breaks. Refresh your mind and your body by making your ‘day off’ an ongoing habit.

Recipe of the Week: Turkey Meatloaf

Muscle of the Month: Amazing Abdominals

Amazing looking, sculpted six-pack abdominals are beautiful. Some people can attain that look easily but for some of us it’s a real challenge. Besides the issue with my apple-shaped body type, I just don’t have the disciplined dedication to the workout nor the nutrition needed to get that six-pack look.

As we’ve mentioned before, there is no such thing as ‘spot’ reduction so doing endless crunches will not reduce the fat around your waist but working out your abs will help tone the muscles and make you stronger for everyday functioning. As well, keep in mind that fat reduction can be complicated by factors other than nutrition, such as hormonal imbalances.

Even if you’re not aiming for a six-pack, is there a good reason to work on your abdominals? Most definitely. The abdominals are part of the core muscles that are important for posture, provide stability, and allow movement in your trunk.

The Anatomy of Abdominals

photo credit: www.getbodysmart.com; accessed Oct. 26, 2014

photo credit: http://www.getbodysmart.com;
accessed Oct. 26, 2014

The primary muscle groups that form the abdominals are the:

Transverse abdominis – Deepest muscle of the abdominal group that runs in a transverse direction, hence the name. This muscle is immediately beneath the internal oblique muscles, helps with breathing and provides stability to the pelvis and thoracic area.

Rectus abdominis – Long, thin muscle that runs vertically down the body to the pubis area. Its function is to flex the trunk, moving the rib cage and pelvis closer together.

External obliques – Run diagonally from the ribs to the front of the pelvis, providing support and stability for the gut. Their major action is to rotate the torso and help bend sideways.

Internal obliques – Deeper muscles that lie beneath external obliques and run diagonally in the opposite direction of externals. These muscles provide stability and work together with external obliques to rotate the torso.

Remember that strong abdominals are supported by the Erector Spinae muscles, which are part of your lower back muscles. These are antagonist to the abdominals so incorporate some back strengthening exercises to ensure your core is well supported front and back.

Exercises for Abdominals

When working abdominal muscles, be sure to challenge the transverse abdominis muscles since these are responsible for pulling in your abdomen. They are often referred to as the ‘corset’ muscles that give you the flatter look, keeping your belly from sticking out.

Incorporate some of the following abdominal exercises into your weekly strength routine to tone your muscles. Also remember that nutrition is important for reducing body fat to allow those muscles to ‘pop’. Limit your intake of sugar and other foods that may cause you particular challenges with storing body fat.