Allison and Kate "rest" with the 85# Brutus on them.

Towards the end of many of our workouts, I’m fond of saying, “Here’s where the magic happens!” As if we had to get to that point to reap the benefits of the day. But it’s really a lie. Don’t get me wrong- we needed to do the 5^th round of the 5 RFT or the last 3 minutes of the 25 min AMRAP (I know, I know we need a key for these acronyms). We had to finish strong. But that’s not truly where the magic happens.

The magic happens when it’s over and done. It’s the time spent not working out that your body adapts and benefits from the stimulus you just put it through. The magic is especially potent at night. It’s called rest and you should be getting it. If not, you may be cheating yourself from some wonderful benefits.

Here are a couple of those benefits:

• Repair- Rest time is when we repair muscles and heal from damage that occurs during our workouts.  Paired with a high-ish protein dinner, 8 to 9 hours of sleep will effectively give your body adequate recovery to be ready for your next challenge.
• Balance- Hormonal balance is critical in the body. Especially when it comes to fat loss. Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can upset the balance of two important hormones called ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin increases your desire for food whereas leptin is a natural appetite suppressant. When you short side your sack time, ghrelin levels rise giving you those food cravings. Crazy huh?

If you’re working out hard, you need to protect your rest and recovery time. It’s a vital part of any athletic endeavor you undertake. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or improve performance, your most effective training tool might just be your bed.

Peace, Love & Rest,

Coach Resting in AZ Chris

About the Author: Dr. Chris owns and operates Biles Family Chiropractic in Waxahachie, TX with his wife Dr. Laura Biles. In his fun time, Dr. Chris operates BFC- Better Functional Conditioning, which is a premier training program comprised of bootcamps and group training that helps individuals realize their fitness potential. BFC is not a weight loss program but people do lose weight. It’s not diet program but people learn how food affects them. BFC is a lifestyle for fitness.

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