Rest & Recovery: The Vital Components of Physical Health & Wellness

Taja Watkins-Scott, BS 

Physical Health & Wellness Associate 

​Whenever someone is considering taking up exercise, increasing how much they exercise or wanting to lose weight etc, we often hear terms such as: “get up and go”, “get a move on” or “eat less, move more” etc.  But no one ever really explains the fact that taking time out to rest and recover is just as important or even why.  The emphasis is always placed on the physical activity itself.

Whenever someone is considering taking up exercise, increasing how much they exercise or wanting to lose weight etc, we often hear terms such as: “get up and go”, “get a move on” or “eat less, move more” etc.  But no one ever really explains the fact that taking time out to rest and recover is just as important or even why.  The emphasis is always placed on the physical activity itself.
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As I write this blog it is a Wednesday which is a day I have allocated in my work week as a day off, but since becoming self-employed almost a year ago, today is the first time that I am genuinely resting.

I usually try to fit in as many errands as I possibly can on my day off so I don’t have to squeeze it in over the weekend.  This is also the time that people close to me ask the most of me because they know it is my day off.  After all of this I tend to end up being even more tired when I go back to work on a Thursday and this defeats the whole object of having this day off in the first place!

This rest today wasn’t even scheduled.  My body went into autopilot and forced me to stay in bed to rest and recover from the constant physical, mental and spiritual pressures I’ve had placed on me by myself and others.

It was this forced rest and recovery that inspired this particular blog because I genuinely had no idea what I was going to write about this month.  Instead of focusing solely on physical health and wellness as something active, I wanted to instead, breakdown the passive aspect of this which is rest and recovery.  I wanted to delve into why these components are just as important as your physical activity.

Rest is defined as:
To “cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep, or recover strength.” - Google
Recovery is defined as:
"A return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength.” - Google

With these definitions we can see that we need to rest so that our bodies, minds and souls have the time to recover from the pressures and stresses we put them under on a daily basis and this can be positive or negative, but usually consists of the two as we cannot control what happens in the world around us, but by resting and allowing ourselves to recover, it provides us with the environment to build resilience and come back stronger.

How rest and recovery positively impact our holistic health:

• Physically – When working and pushing yourself to your limits, this actually causes microscopic tears in the muscles causing muscle aches 1 to 2 days after working out.  This is normal as it is the healing of these micro tears that leads to muscle growth.  Without that crucial rest, there is no chance for the muscles to rebuild and this can potentially cause injury, hindering progress.
• Mentally – When we don’t take the time out to rest mentally from stress this can lead to poor quality of mental health potentially leading to anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns. Mental rest and recovery can ease this pressure and prevent this from happening or at least ease the severity.
• Spiritually – It is not just our bodies and minds that need to rest and recover.  We can often feel when our souls need rest too, particularly if we are living out of alignment with our true purpose.  It can take time to become aligned with what our souls call us to do, but once we are in the know, we should not ignore this and take time out as often as we can to at least work towards our souls' desires as this part of us can also become exhausted from working against its calling.

I hope this blog encourages you or can help you to adjust your mindset to know that resting is just as important as constantly bring on the go because without rest, you don’t give yourself the chance to recover sot that you can keep going in the first place.  Don’t let yourself run out of juice.  Always top up and replenish.
 

Taja Watkins-Scott, BS 

​My name is Taja Watkins-Scott and professionally, I am a holistic bodywork therapist specializing in Swedish massage, sports massage and rehabilitation and acupuncture. Personally, I would describe myself as a nurturer and spiritual being navigating the human experience of life and while on this journey I am using my gifts to bring love, light and healing to as many people as I possibly can to raise the vibration of the world around us. I am a firm believer that our health should be considered holistically as every aspect of our lives;  physically, spiritually and emotionally are all interconnected. I take this approach with my own life and treat my clients accordingly. Although I am a bodywork therapist, many of my clients have found a safe space in me to be vulnerable and let go of anxieties they may be holding on to. As someone who also lives with anxiety it warms my heart that others can find a safe haven in me to let go of theirs. 
​ Instagram: @mahtajmidasliving