In this piece for Lava Magazine, I write on the benefits of scheduled rest. We need to build downtime into our training and life plans, so that our bodies have time to cope with the stresses we throw at them.
Sometimes—as when, say, a winter full of inclement weather keeps icing the roads—we have unscheduled rest thrust upon us. (Illness is another period of enforced unscheduled rest, but it’s often the direct result of not putting in deliberate rest periods.) This can be stressful in and of itself, as we fear losing fitness and sabotaging our training plans. While we have to get creative, rearranging workouts, making do with the equipment we have in the house (the bike trainer and even the rebounder trampoline can help here), we shouldn’t worry too much. Why waste energy fretting about things beyond our control?
Instead, do what you can (might I suggest streaming a yoga class on YogaVibes?). Direct excess energy into other projects that will not get your attention come spring. Declutter. Deep clean. Focus on your family. And enjoy the unscheduled rest.