I knew something wasn’t right when I flung the screwdriver in frustration. It went skipping across the floor. My little outburst did not make me feel any better. This is the kind of stupid stuff I do when I am rest deficient.
I was taking the kitchen faucet apart to tighten everything down when the screw that holds the handle in place broke. My frustration soared and so did the screwdriver. It was a signal that something needed to change.
Rest is not something we value in our culture. Sure…a little bit is OK, but we place a much higher value on hard work and long hours. We celebrate busy. We love to give the answer, “Really busy!” when someone asks how we’re doing. It feels like a badge of honor.
And, it’s understandable. We draw value from work…from what we produce. Rest doesn’t feel nearly as valuable.
Except it is.
Without rest our work suffers…our relationships suffer…we suffer. You and I need intentional and consistent rest. We especially need rest if we want a lifestyle of fitness. Our bodies need both the exertion of “exercise” and the downtime of rest for true fitness.
I started this 20k One Year Step Challenge on September 1, 2018. My goal is to reach at least 20,000 steps every day for a year with no breaks. I just completed Week 35. Along the way I’ve been writing about the value of walking for fitness. I’m pretty passionate about it and believe there is a right way to do this. That’s the focus of this blog.
During this Challenge I’ve been asked a lot of different questions about how I get all these steps. Yet, one question I’ve never been asked is…
“Don’t you need a day off?”
In case you are wondering, the answer is both yes and no. Certainly, time off is an important component of rest. I love my vacations and I’ve learned how to truly disconnect from work so I can return rested. It wasn’t always easy for me to do that, but over time I’ve gotten much better at it.
I can’t rely on just vacation, or time away, as my sole source of rest. Rest needs to be part of my lifestyle…not just something I get to do once a year at the beach. In other words…I need consistent rest just as much as I need consistent fitness activity like putting 20,000 steps a day on my Fitbit Inspire HR.
Taking a break from my step goal would not be restful for me. And, it’s not because I’m a Walkaholic. I’ve heard others make the same argument about taking time away from work. This is different.
I have two ways I’m making rest a regular part of my life and reaching my step goal is integral to both. One will feel obvious…the other might surprise you. I’ll explain both in the next couple weeks.
If you’re currently doing the 90 Day Step Challenge (learn more about that HERE) you may start to feel the need for a break…a day off. Keep at it. Over the next two weeks, you’ll learn how to find rest even while moving every day.
If you struggle with motivation to stick with fitness this blog will help. Don’t be intimated by the title. That’s my goal…not yours. But, my bigger goal is to help you start a fitness journey that doesn’t stop and builds momentum. If you click FOLLOW (below on your phone and to the right and above on your computer) you’ll get an email with a link to each motivating article the moment it’s published.