Slow it down!

-Mindy Irish

I'm nearing close to three years since starting this fitness season of my life.  It's exciting because I feel that each day brings new knowledge about how to better our bodies inside and out.  We can look in nearly every corner of the Internet for fitness and wellness advice, sometimes only to get overwhelmed.  But there's been one reoccurring theme that I've finally starting paying greater attention to: get more rest and sleep!

I don't have to tell you how busy our lives can get and how fast paced of a society we really are.  When we took a missions trip to Costa Rica back in 2002, we were shocked at how easy going life was for them.  I don't mean life was easy, I mean that they operated at a much slower pace.  When walking in groups, their gait was half the speed of the Americans.  They had purposeful rest and social hours society-wide during the day and at one point, one family even offered us to take a rest on their own beds.  Who does that (in America)?  They were wired to slow down and enjoy the moment!  America is just the opposite!

In our society we don't even realize how fast paced we're moving until we make an intentional effort to slow things down on a daily basis.  As I get further into my fitness journey and start expecting more out of my body and aiming for continuous changes, I'm realizing that the rest and sleep factor HAS to be a huge component.  If I don't give my body time to regenerate and repair after the hard lifting I've done, I won't get the results I so desire.  I can't beat science.....a body needs rest to rebuild, period.


I found this great, short article on sleep (where I found the sleeping muscle dude pic!)  Click the pic or click HERE to read about the relationship of obesity and the lack of sleep!



In an effort to make rest and sleep a bigger priority, I had to look at the root of the "I'm so busy" problem.  In order to discontinue my sleep time from getting the short side of the stick, I had to start putting LESS on the daily to-do list so my day actually ended at a more reasonable time.  We all only have 24 hours in our day, so putting 27 hours worth of work and tasks into one's agenda is in the long term hazardous to one's health!

With less to-do on a daily basis, I'm aiming at doing MORE with the less and then getting my day shut down earlier so my sleep hours are not affected.  It's easy to short your sleep.  You get the kids to bed, the house is quiet, and you're up getting stuff done....alone!  Who wants that to end?  But settling for five to seven hours of sleep is not enough for this changing body...I need my full eight, at least!  So now I have as one of my goals to have shorter daily to-do lists and at least one unscheduled day a week so I can enjoy the little stuff of life and make sure my days don't get too long.

If you're wanting change, you have to make some changes in what you do daily.  Don't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.  Good night.....now go get some sleep!