I shared my thoughts on exercise a few weeks ago, and that is important of course. I talked about finding something that works for you and making sure you stay active. Not everyone's schedule is going to be the same. With all of that being said I think it is also very important to take a break and listen to your body. 

I know, this may sound surprising to you especially since I just posted about how important exercise is and being active is. Do not misunderstand me, I still stand by all of that. What I do think is that sometimes we also just need a break. Sometimes our bodies just need extra rest in order for us to keep going on our usual schedules. Sometimes in order to not hurt ourselves either physically or even mentally, a little break from our normal routine is important. 

The whole inspiration for this post comes from last week. On Monday afternoon after work I went straight to the gym as I usually do. When I got out of the car, for whatever reason I noticed my upper right leg seemed to have a pulled muscle. Now as silly as this sounds I have no idea how this happened. If was fine when I left work and I noticed it when I got out of the car at the gym. I decided since it was not too bad I would just go in and do my cardio. I did and it seemed to be fine. The next day, however, the pain got a little worse all throughout the day. I attempted to do a lunge and almost screamed from the pain. I decided it would be in my best interest to skip the gym that day and go straight home to rest and stretch the muscle out really well. That helped me so much. Instead of risking injury and making things worse for me, I decided it would be in my best interest to stray from my normal routine and recover. 

I want to tell you that it is perfectly fine to stray from your schedule. I personally go to the gym 4 days a week, and 90% of the time I am able to stick to that. There are going to be weeks where that doesn't work out though! I do not beat myself up over it. I simply get right back to my normal routine the very next week. As long as the good weeks far outweigh the off weeks then you are good!

Sticking to a routine is never worth your physical or mental health. If you pull a muscle like I did just test the waters, but do not overdo things. If you are unsure on what to do then reach out to someone for advice. I personally texted my trainer, and he helped me out a lot and gave me advice on what to do. If you had a super rough day and just need a break from working out then take it. I know I have days where I just want to be home as soon as possible. I do not suggest doing this too often. Exercise can be an amazing stress relief. But if your mental sanity means skipping the gym and going home to put on your pajamas and have a glass of wine then do it. Just make sure you get right back to the gym on your schedule the next day. 

The same can actually be said about diet as well. I am a firm believer in eating healthier when you can, but letting yourself live as well. My weight went up a few weeks ago because I enjoyed myself at the 4th of July picnic my family had. I went right back to eating well after the holiday, but I let myself stray on the day of. Yes, you should make a conscious effort most of the time to make healthy choices. Your physical health will thank you for this. I do feel also that you should allow yourself to stray and enjoy from time to time as well. Do not go crazy by any means, but if you are at an event that has some yummy but not healthy choices go ahead and have a little, just do not go overboard. That is the most important thing to remember when it comes to both straying on your diet and exercise: Balance.

My overall message here is to not push yourself farther than your should. Listen to your body and listen to your internal dialogue, but do not let this become a habit. As long as you only do this once or twice, then you are just fine. You are not any less important or worthy as a person just because you needed to take a day off or decided to give in and eat something you normally wouldn't. Take it easy on the days that you just cannot push through to do your usual plan. The most important part is getting right back into your routine again once you have mentally or physically recovered.