Hey there,
How much do you prioritize rest and recovery?
If you’re like me, not enough. As a driven, goal-oriented person, I like to work. I feel most alive when I’m working, training, and striving toward my goals.
But too little rest can wreak havoc on our bodies and our brains.
When it comes to our bodies, too little rest can result in overtraining syndrome, the side effects of which are not pretty. Fatigue, sickness, injury, lack of motivation, and loss of performance are all almost guaranteed from too many workouts.
Our brains work the same way. There’s a reason we have aha moments — those flashes of creative genius where everything suddenly makes so much sense — in the shower or on a run. We need time to let new connections simmer. Just like our muscles make the real gains after we’re done with our workout, our brains work the same way.
So how do you incorporate more rest into your life? Check out my recent article for Medium on why rest is so important — and how to rest better.
What I’m reading —
The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self by Martha Beck
This book was recommended by a friend and did not disappoint. The premise of the book is to live in integrity in our lives. To do so, we have to confront reality, and be willing to make the changes necessary to live full, meaningful lives. As Beck writes: “Integrity is the cure for psychological suffering. Period.”
What I’m listening to —
Dr. Andy Galpin: How to Build Strength, Muscle Size & Endurance / The Huberman Lab podcast
This is a three-hour masterclass on anything and everything related to exercise. Dr. Galpin has a way of making complicated subjects easy to understand and apply to our own lives. So many gems in this one.
A quote that inspires me —
“Grit is about having what some researchers call an ”ultimate concern” – a goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do. And grit is holding steadfast to that goal. Even when you fall down. Even when you screw up. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow.” — Angela Duckworth
What I’m training —
Here’s a full-body circuit workout you can do at your favorite calisthenics park, playground, or gym.
Three new workouts —
Dynamic Jump Rope HIIT Workout (12-minute HIIT, jump rope, plyo box)
Medicine Ball Legs + Plyos (12-minute HIIT, medicine ball)
264 Rep Bodyweight Challenge Workout (Time challenge, equipment-free)
You can get these and all future workouts right in the 12 Minute Athlete app when you subscribe as a Super Athlete.
Questions? Feedback? Content requests?
Please feel free to reply directly to this email if you have any questions or comments (yes, I am a real human). I get a lot of emails and messages, so I can’t reply to all of them, but I do read everything you guys send me!
– Krista