Rest days are so important! Boring, yes, I’m fully aware, but I speak from experience when I tell you that having a rest day is as important as all the conditioning and training you put your heart and soul into on a daily basis.

So, what do we consider a rest day?

A rest day plain and simple is what it says on the tin … an entire day of rest.

No, this does not include yoga or a long walk, these are still forms of exercise and whilst a rest day may come easily to some, others find it hard to hit the pause button.

This is because we, as a circus community are so passionate and dedicated to achieving our goals that we see this rest in a negative light as SLACKING! So we overwork, we overtrain, we get ill and we continue to train through this perceived period of weakness until we burn out!

The benefits of rest aren’t just purely for muscle recovery; they encompass a variety of factors contributing to your overall well being. The World Health Organisation defines health as:

‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being’

So, what can you do to optimise your rest days and boost your health?

References:

– Sleep and the elite athlete (2015) Shona L. Halson, PhD. https://www.gssiweb.org/en-ca/Article/see-113-sleep-and-the-elite athlete

– Effects of sleep deprivation on neural functioning: an integrative review. T.W.Boonstra, J.F.Stins and P.J. Beek. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles

– Stress: a social issue (2018) https://www.brunet.ca/en/advices/stress-a-social-issue.html

– Dehydration and it’s effects on performance by Asker Jeukendrup and Michael Gleason

– Feeling the pressure of social media – https://blog.shezlong.com/en/feeling-the-pressure-how-social-media-is-affecting-our-mental-health/

– Baking picture – Image by UnsplashtP-DeABI?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink”>https://unsplash.com/photos/htP-DeABI?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

– Stress Response Image (obtained using free trial) Image from Shezlong Magazine https://stock.adobe.com/uk/images/stress-response-system-vector-illustration-diagram-nerve-impulses-scheme/193573261

– Chocolate milk picture Image by UnsplashVbbKNDMSo?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink”>https://unsplash.com/photos/XVbbKNDMSo?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

– I love training Image – Image by Meme Generator

https://memegenerator.net/instance/756/elf-tornado-i-love-training-trainings-my-favorite”

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