So, today was day 11, cardio recovery. I'm one of those workout til you are dripping sweat kind of people, so the change is pace itself is a little challenging for me. However, today I went into it with a different attitude. I was not only going to use this workout to let my body "recover" from the other workouts of the week, but I needed to get some mental clarity. I found myself really focused on my breathing, really using the whole workout to reflect on different things. I have a tendency to let life overwhelm me way too often. I have used working out as an outlet and a stress reliever for myself, in addition to the obvious reason of living a healthier life. A healthy life depends on so much more than just a physically strong, healthy body. You have to be mentally strong, and emotionally strong.
I finished my workout today with a new sense of satisfaction. I let myself relax...I let myself breathe...I let myself really let go over all the mental baggage I carry around everyday. When I walked out the door to go to work this morning, I felt like a completely different person. My head felt clear, I didn't feel stressed in the least, and I left with a positive, "bring it on because nothing is going to bring me down today" type attitude. I don't remember the last time I walked out of the house like that. (Kinda sad when you really think about it...you should never let life overwhelm you that much.) Today made me realize that I've been missing a crucial tool in my journey to a healthier lifestyle, mental clarity and time to reflect. Now, rather than missing the intense, fast paced workouts on recovery day, I will look at it with a whole new mindset. Recover your body AND recover your mind.
This is soooooo true!!! The makers of Insanity create this schedule for a reason!!! Your body and mind need to recover, but at same time I have learned too that you don't have to be sweating for it to be a great workout. It's a different kind of feeling of accomplishment after this workout. Feeling your body lengthen and strengthen is just amazing. It releases muscle tension which I agree is directly related to the stressors in our lives!! Great job stepping out of your comfort zone and looking at it in a different way!!!
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