Whoa, Am I Ever Exhausted!

Friday, October 3, 2008
I'm feeling a little sore today... well, maybe more than a little sore. I love basketball, but I'm not so naïve to think that I can play for several hours each of the last three days and wake up without a few aches. Throw in a couple intense workouts, and you have a recipe for a day off.

Why am I telling you this? Well, two reasons.

First, if you love something, do it. I love basketball, and even though I usually end up with at least one bump or bruise every time I play (and sometimes I'm lucky if it's just that one bump or bruise), I would never give it up.

A lot of people are very passionate about running or cycling, activities that, as you know if you've read my blog before, I don't view as ideal forms of exercise. But just because they're not the best way to get in shape doesn't mean they have no value. If you like running for a few miles every day, then you should absolutely do it because it's important to you. I simply preach that if you don't like doing those traditional cardio activities, you don't have to - there's another way to get in shape.

The second reason I bring up basketball, and in particular how sore I am today, is that you need to know when to take a day and rest (which is what I'll be doing today). You know your body better than anyone else, and while it's dangerous to be sedentary and do nothing with your body, it's no better to burn out on exercise and physical activity. Even though hard work is critical to making positive changes in your body, those changes require rest to occur. If you train hard all the time, you're never giving your body the chance to recover, and you're robbing yourself of many of the benefits of exercise.

So as you head into the weekend, do something you love doing. Hopefully you'll think of something you like that will keep you active. And if your body is telling you to take it easy, listen. Make sure you take some time for yourself to rest and recover this weekend, that way you're at your best when you get back to it next week.

There you have it - have a good weekend, everyone!

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