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Rest is not doing nothing.

Writer's picture: VV


I said this on Saturday at our retreat during discussing our new year intentions. Someone said they want to rest more in 2025 and not feel bad for doing it. And that deserves celebrating and is very important.


So many feel guilty if they take some time to rest, if they say no to plans even though they are tired or if they miss a session because they have no energy or are carrying an injury.


I want to remind you that resting properly doesn’t mean you are lazy or mean you are doing nothing.


Especially at this time of year, so many are hammering the gym and the diet but may not be including adequate recovery which will often result in it being unsustainable or lead to injury.


You might be thinking you should be doing more but remember we are still in winter, hibernation season and the body needs adequate rest to function optimally when you need it.


To encourage you to rest more for your health I often recommend and do myself :


  • Earlier to bed! The basics…that Netflix show and book will still be there tomorrow! Sleep is so underrated for many reasons and if you aren’t getting enough so many things can be out of whack.

  • Minimise alcohol - it interferes with your sleep, mood and stress levels so basically prevents your body from resting.

  • Take a day off! If you are training hard do you really need to be hitting it hard everyday? If you do then you need to include more mobility, stretching, sleep and even some power naps. I sometimes struggle to nap but I will regularly lie down for 20 mins with my eyes closed and it really recharges me when I need it.

  • Breathing exercises - so many reasons. If you don’t believe me try it to prove me wrong.

  • Add in a steam/sauna after your training session - recovery is so important and these can really help.

  • Allowing sleep without an alarm call if you can…give your body what it needs.

  • Add in a Yoga class to add in active recovery and rest the mind.


If you are feeling tired…listen to your body and ask yourself why? don’t ignore the signals. Is it because you have trained everyday? Have you eaten enough through the week? Have you been getting enough fluid in? Are you sleeping enough? These should be questions you ask yourself every week (I ask my clients) to reflect and be better for the next week. If you don’t then it will be hard to monitor if your hard work is improving your health and also hard to avoid illness at this time of year.


I often tell clients to swap out that extra session or class to stay at home, put their feet up and get their recipe books out to plan for the week ahead - when did you last open your recipe books? - So they are resting but also being productive in their planning and prioritising. It doesn’t have to be a nap if it makes you feel bad but you can consciously rest your body whilst nourishing it and being prepared. This is going to make reaching your goals a lot more easier.


Or I have said many times I would rather they go home and eat a balanced meal instead of missing their nutrition to fit in the rest of the day.


If you want to be healthier, get stronger, lose weight or feel amazing everyday you cannot ignore the basics and then wonder why you’re not seeing results. Finding balance with movement, food and rest is important and takes me back to the 5 pillars of V Health & Fitness - as soon as one drops off the wheel it is harder to maintain the others.


Do you feel guilty for resting?

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