The Importance of a Rest Day

Rest days are an aspect of training which we maybe don't consider to be "training" - but ask any high performing athlete, and they'll tell you that Rest Days make the difference between hitting a new PB or picking up a new injury.

 REST

verb
verb: rest; 3rd person present: rests; past tense: rested; past participle: rested; gerund or present participle: resting

    cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep, or recover strength.
    "he needed to rest after the feverish activity"
    synonyms:    relax, take a rest, ease up/off, let up, slow down, pause, have/take a break, unbend, repose, laze, idle, loaf, do nothing, take time off, slack off, unwind, recharge one's batteries, be at leisure, take it easy, sit back, sit down, stand down, lounge, luxuriate, loll, slump, flop, put one's feet up, lie down, go to bed, have/take a nap, nap, catnap, doze, have/take a siesta, drowse, sleep;

noun
noun: rest; plural noun: rests; suffix: -rest; suffix: -rests

    an instance or period of resting.ri
    "you look as though you need a rest"

They say that big, multi-stage events (such as the Tour de France) are won in bed - how a team use their rest and recovery time is one of the leading factors in a winning team. How you spend your rest days can vary depending on which stage of your training you're in; if it's a rest day dring the taper before your marathon, odds are, you'll have too much nervous energy to just do nothing. Alternatively, if it's the day's rest in a multi-day event - your stategy will probably involve a lot more rest in that rest day.

Rest days are easier to plan for and to fit into a training plan when you're working towards an event, however if you train all year round, it can seem harder to find the time.

Why take a rest day?

• Prevent overtraining -  working out every day can lead to fatigue which can increase your risk of injury
  
• Prevent tedium - training with the same routine can lose its appeal if you do the same thing every day, rest days work as a mental break from your workout as well as a physical break
  
• Improve recovery - DOMS (delayed onset muscle soresness) can really affect your training, with appropriate rest days built into your routine, you can avoid training on already sore muscles
  
• Improve sleep - whilst you shouldn't spend your entire rest day asleep, taking a day to catch up on some Zzzz's can really help your training and productivity in the following days

We asked the Tribesports community & a selection of personal trainers how they like to spend their days - and from the results, we've pulled out 3 distinctive types of rest day-ers:

1. The life admin rest day: No exercise? Fine. I'll just do my chores instead.

"Rest day = laundry day. FACT."  

Source Jon B / Tribe Sports

Drink More Water and Start Losing That Extra Weight

Who hasn't heard the idea that drinking water can contribute to you diminishing your weight? Much more than usual! But is this affirmation true? The answer is yes! When you drink more water, you boost your metabolism, suppress that wild appetite, and clean your organism of waste. At the same time, you stop the body from retaining water and thus lose some extra pounds. How can you make sure you drink the right amount of water (8-10 glasses every day), maintaining yourself hydrated and losing weight? Here are a couple of great tips that will help you out!

Drink before eating

Water suppresses the appetite, so it is an excellent idea to drink it before you eat. As a result, you will feel full faster and eat less. Specialists say that drinking water before eating can reduce the calories intake with 75 calories/meal. Thus if you do this each meal daily for one year, you would cut the calories ingestion by 27,000. According to my math, you would be losing 8 pounds/year only by drinking water.

Drink water instead of calorie drinks

Forget all about sodas or juices, and drink water instead. Add a bit of lemon if you think this is too boring for you. You know for sure that a glass of water with a bit of lemon in it can really contribute to you losing weight and cut your food cravings. Don't believe it? Why don't you just start drinking water and convince yourself of the result?

Drink it cold

When you drink cold water, you boost your metabolism by forcing your body to work more in order to warm the water. This will also burn down calories and help you lose weight. Not to mention that cold water tastes better than normal temperature water.

Go to the gym

When you drink water, you prevent the muscles from cramping and you maintain your joints lubricated. This means that you can work out for a longer period of time. The key is to remain hydrated and those extra pounds will disappear quickly.

Get enough

The best trick when it comes to drinking water is to follow a rule called "8x8". Most nutritionists recommend it. You have to drink 8 glasses of 8 ounces with water daily. This will help you lose weight and keep your ideal figure. Keep in mind that you if exercise more, you will sweat more. This requires more water intake, or the same amount of water but completed with other type of drinks, like herbal teas.

What's the best way to know if you receive sufficient water? A good, but somehow weird rule, is to verify the toilet before going to the bathroom. When you are properly hydrated your urine gets light yellow and clear in color. If case your urine is dark, then you will know that you need to drink more water. Remember: drink water if you want to remain healthy and lose weight!

Source :  Karina Popa/ Ezine 

How to Fall in Love With Whole Foods

Have we fallen in love with convenient, processed foods? With busy schedules, fast-food restaurants on every corner, and an abundance of comfort foods available (even at the local Starbucks), it’s no wonder we opt for all those fatty, salty and sweet foods. It just tastes so good. And it’s so easy to get. Food manufactures know exactly how to get us “hooked” without us even knowing it, and many of us have lost the desire and taste buds for whole, unprocessed foods. It’s time to go back to the basics and rediscover a love for whole foods. It may not happen overnight, but with these tips you may just have a new love affair for healthy and tasty “real” food.

Add Flavor With Spices and Herbs

Put down the salt shaker and start enhancing the flavor of your food with spices and fresh herbs. Not only do herbs and spices taste good, they are loaded with anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Turmeric, for example, is made from the turmeric root and often found in curry dishes. It also happens to be a powerful anticancer agent. Cinnamon (one of our favorites) can be added to any sweet or savory dish and gives both an earthy and sweet taste. Plus, cinnamon has been shown to help lower blood sugar in people who have diabetes or who are prediabetic. Fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano can be added to a pot of homemade chicken soup to help fight the common cold. Make sure to check the spices and dried herbs you keep in your pantry and buy new ones every six months as they lose flavor and potency over time (except salt and pepper, which last longer). 

Shop Local and In Season for Fresh-tasting Produce

Do you have a farmer’s market near where you live or work? If so, make a trip there as soon as possible and check out what’s in season. Or check out websites like Natural Resources Defense Council and Epicurious, which provide information on what foods are in season in your area each month of the year.

Eating food that is locally grown and in season is less expensive and usually tastes much better than food that is grown in a hothouse or transported thousands of miles. Produce that comes from far away is usually picked unripe and transported in refrigerated containers, which affects its ability to properly ripen. Stick with local, seasonal food for better taste and to save money. 

Healthy and Convenient?

There is something to be said about the benefits of pre-packaged foods. Sure, they’re easy and quick, but most packaged food is full of refined carbohydrates, sugar, bad fats and preservatives. Read the ingredient list and see what you find. If there's anything on that list that you can't pronounce, you probably shouldn't be eating it. Instead, make your own convenience foods that are healthy and tasty. The best snacks are a combination of protein and fiber as they work together to keep your blood sugar balanced and energy level higher for longer periods of time. Here are some ideas to get you started: an apple (or other seasonal fruit) with some almonds (or other nuts); veggies and hummus; black beans, quinoa, and salsa; a homemade muffin made with almond flour (for more protein and healthy fat); a snack-size baggie of mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit; homemade egg salad; a container of Greek yogurt with some chia seeds and berries. Taking a little time each week to shop for ingredients and put them together into small packages will save you time and money during the week when you're on the go.

Turn Off Electronics and Tune Into Your Food

Everywhere we go, we see people on cell phones, laptops and tablets. We're wearing monitors that record every step, heart rate, calories burned and quality of sleep. And there's no turning back. While we're happy for all that technology brings us, there is a time and a place for it, and a time for turning it off. When you eat is a perfect time to turn off the computer, put down the cell phone and tune into your food and your body. Be present. Allow yourself to feel what hunger and fullness feels like. Distraction-free eating enables you to notice the flavors, texture and temperature of your food. And it allows you to eat at a slower, more relaxed pace. Not only will you be able to appreciate all the elements of your meal, you will walk away from that meal feeling more satisfied.

Source : Tiffani Bachus, R.D.N., and Erin Macdonald, R.D.N

What is Isagenix?

AND WHAT IS NUTRITIONAL CLEANSING?

•  It is an all natural system of products that is organic where possible and doesn’t contain artificial flavours colours, fillers or sweeteners and uses the highest quality  ingredients.
• Nutritional cleansing is about bringing the body into balance by gently cleansing away toxins while feeding it high quality nutrients and minerals.
• It’s not a ‘’single organ” cleanse….. EVERY SINGLE CELL in your body, including your brain is cleansed without the nasty, ill effects that some detoxes result in.
• Our Nutritional Cleansing System is actually not a “weight-loss program’’. As your body moves into an optimal state of health, excess fat and fluid are released while preserving your precious lean muscle mass. In fact, the same program used to lose weight is used by elite Olympic Athletes like Jana Pittman and Natalie Cook that have very little body fat!
• The system is not a liquid or starvation diet, you continue to eat frequently and abundantly throughout the day and your body is rejuvenated and replenished with natural botanicals, trace minerals, enzymes and incredible nutrients that are all scientifically proven to allow the body to be the miracle it is.
• Ever wonder why you get that Yo-Yo effect with diets – lose weight then get it all back plus 10% more than you started with? It’s because they don’t address one of the main causes of weight accumulation – Toxicity. The body is protecting our organs from these toxins by creating more and more fat cells with which to coat the toxins and chemicals. Simple isn’t it? Get rid of the toxins and the body doesn’t need to create more and more fat cells.

Isagenix is for anyone that wants to look better, feel better and sleep better or just to de-stress. The ultimate goal is to get the mind and body in perfect balance through cleansing the body of toxins and providing it with all it needs nutritionally. The aim is to move the body from an acidic to an alkaline state and to reduce inflammation in the body. It’s fantastic to support gut and brain health and to boost the immune system by up to 500%.

To be ‘on a diet’ is depressing and boring. They are often hard to stick to and require a lot of motivation and effort. If something is too hard to maintain you won’t stick with it. The Isagenix system is not a diet or a quick fix, it is a lifestyle change. If a pack isn’t right for you for any reason, you may benefit by just using a couple of the products, be sure to contact us.

If you are on prescription medication you need to be monitored by your regular Doctor. Please see FAQ’s.

If the products are not suitable for you or for any other reason, there is a 30 day money back guarantee.

Isagenix does not intend to diagnose, cure or prevent disease. 

TRADITIONAL DIETING

The main reason why a lot of traditional diets fail is that many actually starve the body of what it needs nutritionally. The body needs nourishment to function properly.

Some diets and detoxes are so extreme, the body needs protein and if it does not aquire that through good nutrition it will start to break down muscle tissue. You think it’s fat and fluid loss that you see on the scales and it might be but it also might be the breakdown of your muscles. Lean muscle mass is so important for your metabolism and burning calories.

The Isagenix systems flood your body with all it needs nutritionally and at the same time assists it in removing the toxins and impurities that make us sick, tired and fat. All the products are 100% natural and all sourced from  the highest quality ingredients. The products are all food. Superfoods in fact.

How to Prepare for Exercise After an Injury

Injuries occur at any time and for any reason. If you get injured, you may not know how to proceed and prepare for exercise post-injury. This mind-and-body guide can help prepare you for a brighter, injury-free future in fitness and performance. 

Seek Medical Care

Pain, swelling, discoloration of the skin and chronic discomfort is your body’s way of letting you know that something is not right. Acute pain, if left untreated, eventually leads to chronic pain, which usually requires longer recovery and treatment methods. 

The first step to overcoming an injury is to seek medical care. Follow your healthcare professional’s recovery and rehabilitation protocols to ensure that your body heals appropriately. Pushing beyond protocols and avoiding corrective care prolongs recovery, so take care of the injury before planning your first post-injury run, hike or workout. 

Overcome Mental Battles

One of the hardest things to overcome when injured is the mental battle caused from a lack of movement and progress. If you’re someone who thrives with regular exercise, you may find yourself disconnecting emotionally when forced to be sedentary. Also, you may be concerned about losing some of the fitness you’ve worked so hard to achieve.    

It is important to accept the present moment. When injured, it is easy to let the mind spiral with negative thoughts, and extreme sadness can hinder the body from healing.  All of this can lead to depression or despair, so it’s important to remind yourself that your body will once again reach its potential. 

Question Yourself

Work to overcome mental battles by answering these questions, which will increase awareness of the injury and prepare you better for the future.

How did I get here?

This question can help you realize why or how you became injured. Reasons vary from overtraining, not wearing the appropriate footwear, pushing limits or not paying attention. If unsure, take note of what could be improved for the future. 

How do I get out of here?

Once you define how the injury occurred, you can better plan for the future. Talk to your healthcare professional about appropriate rehabilitation progressions. Ask the provider to specify if the injury is an imbalance or genetic issue. For example, plantar fasciitis is most often caused by overuse, whereas a bunion (bony growth) develops in early ages and is labeled as genetic. 

Ask your provider whether the injury is correctable with rehab, or if exercise alterations are required to avoid future problems. 

Is the injury a blessing in disguise?

Ask yourself, “Is there a silver lining to the injury?” Sometimes the most positive situations arise out from a negative event. For example, an injured marathon trainee may be forced to correct his or her running gait during rehabilitation. Because of the improvement, the runner improves performance and spares his or her body from running hundreds of training miles with incorrect form, which could have led to a more severe injury. 

What seems like a setback may actually be for your benefit. 

How do I stay positive?

The first step to staying positive is to remember that your injury is temporary. Next, use positive-thinking tools, such as motivational quotes or positive-reinforcement meditations, to maintain a positive outlook. Regardless of which tool is your preference, do your best to think positively and avoid falling into the trap of doomsday thinking. 

Also, talk about your injury as if it is temporary. Use sentences such as, “I will run again,” rather than, “I hope to run again.” Saying, “I will” trains the brain to know what it wants and focuses on the specific goal. “I will” clearly defines what you want and sets the tone for your future. This determination keeps the mind focused and clear of distractions.      

The Importance of Cross Training

Cross training allows the body to exercise while moving in various planes of motion. This reduces repetitive motions and impact from performing the same exercise repeatedly. Post-recovery, it is important not to overstress the healed area, which is still susceptible to reinjury. Take the load and stress off the body with cross training. For example, a weightlifter can benefit from alternative resistance training such as yoga or Pilates, while a runner can benefit from low-impact cardio exercise such as aqua jogging, swimming or cycling. 

Source Elizabeth Kovar M.A, personal trainer and yoga/fitness instructor

 

Natural Movement Workouts: Hang Time

The Journal of Clinical Psychology reported jungle gym pastimes are a thing of the past, and gone are the days when swinging from the monkey bars is a safe activity on the playground. But is the related danger really something adults and children should be overly concerned about? Exercise today neglects to include many functional movement patterns, like hanging or brachiating (swinging from rung to rung on an overhead ladder or bar). “Hanging and the much more challenging action of swinging from object to object, uses upper body strength in a general sense. Swinging requires the full participation of every bit of tissue from the fingers to the lower body,” said Katy Bowman, a biomechanics specialist on natural movement and development.

Although our physical exercise capabilities have not changed from our Paleolithic ancestors, we have mechanically engineered the functional movements of climbing and carrying very heavy loads out of our modern life. Our bodies are paying the price. Increased rates of osteoporosis, osteopenia, and sarcopenia, in addition to common shoulder and back problems can be attributed to muscle and joint weakness or imbalance. In 2006, approximately 7.5 million people were treated for shoulder injuries, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases estimates 8 out of 10 people will experience back pain in their lives. So, how might we incorporate hanging and brachiating into their exercise regime?

Our bodies were genetically designed for these kinds of movements. Paleoanthropologists suspect bipedalism in humans was directly correlated to swinging and suspensory climbing, rather than for walking. Just look at all babies today. The palmer grasp reflex that enables them to grab a finger is the very same mechanism our hunter-gatherer ancestors used to grab a branch. In fact, babies are even strong enough during their first six months of life to be able to suspend their entire body when gripping a bar. The grasping reflex begins to disappear at 6 months of age, however research suggests it is only the lack of cultivation of the capability that reduces its appearance. For this reason alone, we should encourage our children to hang on their arms, and join in on the fun.

Where to get started?

Begin to add isometric hangs and brachiation movements to your fitness routine a few times a week, working up to daily sessions of up to 7 minutes. You can install a pull-up bar in your home for convenience or visit your local playground.

 

However, if you are a beginner or rehabilitating a shoulder injury take some of the weight off of your arms by placing your feet on the ground, either by using a low bar at playground or placing your feet up on a bench. In the supported position, your hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders and hips will be in alignment, and your knees and feet will form a 90° angle.

Active hang

From the passive position above, retract your shoulder blades back and down towards to the ground. Return to the passive position and repeat for your desired amount of time.

Brachiation Basics

Once you have built enough endurance to successfully perform passive and active hangs, experiment with brachiation. Test your strength to see if you can perform passive or active hangs on one arm at a time before adding in the momentum. Try swinging from side-to-side, using each arm as you move across an overhead ladder, like monkey bars at a playground. As you become more skilled, the options for where you can go with your arms are unlimited. 

  

Source : Stephanie Vuolo