​One of the biggest barriers that people have in achieving as well as maintaining their fitness goals is time. I started out going to my high school gym in grade 8 with one of my best buddies Jason Nera (now a power lifter sponsored by Animal) and we would wake up before class in high school to workout. When other 13 year olds are sleeping in or watching morning cartoons, Jason and I would wake up extra early, bike to school, and train for at least one hour every day. It became our ritual, something we loved to do even when it was freezing outside and still dark outside.
This was our life at the time and we loved every minute of it. We both played other sports growing up; track and field (me), wresting (me), basketball (Nera) and even bobsledding (Nera) but we both stayed committed to the gym. I continued this lifestyle every since and can even remember arguing with my mom because it was her wedding day and I wanted to go to the gym. I know it sounds crazy and selfish and maybe it was, well actually I know it was but when you love something so much it takes priority over everything else. This was my mindset when I decided to become a trainer and was surprised to see that most of the world didn’t share my passion of fitness. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that people don’t want to get fit and be healthy but they don’t make it a priority.
This was hard for me to understand and grasp, I just didn’t get it. Since I had grown up a gym rat it who just who I was. When I woke every morning, the first thing on my mind was “when I was going to the gym and what I was going to train” and it was the last thing on my mind at night. It became my first love and was more important than anything else was. Even when I travelled the world to live and work, I still found a gym. In Taiwan I joined a public gym and was a spectacle, being the only black guy at an ALL Asian gym. In the Bahamas, the fitness centers were too expensive but I still found this old man (an ex bodybuilder) who had a make shift gym in his barn and he only charged me 5$ a week to use it. This place was so old that you couldn’t take the weight off one side of the bench because it literally had to stay on to keep everything in balance!
My point is, I always made the time. I would organize my life around the gym, not the other way around. Now I understand that this is not so easy for everyone because life gets in the way. People have jobs, families, hobbies, and a lot of other things going on in their lives but everyone can make time for the gym. It does not have to be a long time but if you start with a consistent commitment, then fitness will also become part of your life. Sometimes you need to make sacrifices because we only have so much time in a day and choose to make it a priority. At first I thought that maybe it was just because I had more free time than most people and that’s why I was able to train so much but I was mistaken. I have lots of friends at the gym that have crazy and busy lives and still make the time. They wake up earlier, cut out TV or other leisure activities, go during their lunch break or even have to extend their day by going after work.
I know this can seem hard at times and you may feel that you can’t find the time or that other things are more important. But let me ask you this…what is more important than your health? If you get sick or are injured then nothing else will matter. You must first take care of yourself in order to truly take care of anyone else in your life. Once you have implemented regular exercise into your daily routine, you will have energy to do more and find yourself to be more productive. Ultimately you will find the time to make sure you make it into the gym.
By you MAKING the time and it becomes important to you just like eating, sleeping, working and playing. It should be just as important because it is a key factor to living an optimal life and a life with minimal injuries and illness. We need to make the time because it’s not given to us. It starts with small steps even just 10min a day.
When my wife (boy it feels cool to say that) was ready to start her journey, she thought she had NO time at all. She was a single mom and was self-employed. Trying to juggle work, family, cleaning the house, groceries and extra-curricular activities how could she ever find time to train. She started with 10min a night running her stairs in her house after her daughter was asleep. With the feeling she got and the sense of accomplishment she felt, she was able to jump-start her fitness journey. She now is a regular gym rat and is pushing and working harder than a lot of guys I see at the gym. They stare in awe as she bench presses 135LBS and squats 205LBS. I know this must be an amazing feeling for her from where she started to where she is now and most of all where she will be. I am her biggest fan!
So I challenge you to start with 10min each day. Go for a walk, a run, workout at home with your body weight, a video, anything. You will get results and feel amazing, it will motivate you to do more and before you know it, fitness is part of your life. Like I have mentioned in previous blogs, we are active people by creation, it’s our busy lifestyle and technology that has caused us to become lethargic and lazy, and it’s in our control to fix this. You can do it! Find a support system to encourage you, motivate you and keep you accountable. It might be difficult in the beginning but the long term payoff is worth it, trust me…better yet trust my wife.
God Bless
Daniel

Exercise on a Schedule- So when is the best time to work out? There are pros and cons to exercising at all times of the day. A morning workout after a light breakfast is good because it kick-starts your metabolism, while afternoon exercises helps dissolve some of the stress and calories from the day. But the best time of all to exercise is when you can do it most consistently. Think of your day in terms of managing your priority, it gets scheduled first and everything else gets booked around it. 

Pop protein after you workout- When you exercise, your muscles get stressed and start to break down, which is a good thing. But if you don’t give them the raw materials they need to recover, they’ll break down more than you can build up. The fix? Protein! Protein helps your body repair protein structures. If you want to be stronger and faster, end your workouts with a handful of nuts or seeds. 

Follow the 30 minute rule- Seize your metabolic window of opportunity! You have only 30 minutes after your workout to give your body the nutrients it needs to recover. If you wait too long to refuel, your body becomes “over trained” and won’t repair itself equally to how much you worked out. Your stress hormones linger, and your muscles continue to break down. Bonus: Eating a post-workout snack within 30 minutes means your body uses the fuel more efficiently and is less likely to store it as fat. 

Up the antioxidant ante- Thurns out there is a downside to exercise: When your body is physically stressed and converting food into energy, it produces free radicals, which can damage cells but that doesn’t mean you should spend more time on the couch. Instead, make sure your post-workout meals are packed with free-radical-fighting antioxidants, which means eating more fruits and veggies. Broccoli and sweet peppers give a good dose of vitamin C, as well as nuts, seeds and avocado to replenish vitamin E. 

​Garb a bite beforehand- want to beat your time or score more points for your team? Then don’t go in hungry. Eat a light pre-workout snack that’s easy to digest to improve your performance. It will put some glucose into your bloodstream and give your muscles the fuel they need to function better. Try a banana, which is high in carbohydrates and low in fibre (you don’t want to eat a lot of fibre before a workout, because your digestion takes a back sear when you’re exercising. Other prefect pre-workout snacks include a rice cake with almond butter, half a peanut butter sandwich or a small bowl of oatmeal. 

​Mix hot and cold- If the cold weather keeps you indoors through the winter, you may want to trade the treadmill for a toque and head outside. A recent study shows that brown fat (yes its actually brown in colour) is activated when your body is exposed to cold temperatures. The colder the temperature, the more brown fat is burned to produce heat. The same study found you might want to warm up with a bowl of chili after your run: Capsinoids, found in chili peppers, also boost brown- fat activity and helps you burn more energy. 

Write these tips down, implement them and watch the boost in your workouts! 

We have had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people recently and they are always interested in our story...so I thought I would share! 

May 2014
So I met this guy online, super cool, very good looking, outgoing and loves life. We started talking and became fast friends. He’s really into the gym, so not my life. We talk all the time and seem to have a lot in common. He’s such a cool guy, never negative and always happy. He calls me Miss Tiff and I call him Danner…how cute! We seem to speak in a different way than with others in the dating world. It was easy and light, no pressure and always positive. I really don’t see an interest in dating on either side, its just nice to have good conversations with someone so positive.
I told him about this other guy I went on a date with that I am really not interested in. He gave me some good tips on how to say “I’m really not interested!” and it seemed to work! We really like getting each other opinions on dating and having the other person’s perspective. We talk occasionally but he has now mentioned he has a girlfriend so I am going to back off as I respect their relationship.
 
September 2014
Well summer has come and gone and Dan messaged me. He’s back on the market and seems to be showing a lot of interest in Miss Tiff. I really haven’t thought much of it because I really don’t see me as his type.
 
September 6th, 2014
I am on my way to meet my friend Dan, we are going for breakfast to an Egg Smart. This is the first time we will be meeting and it will be nice to meet the face behind the phone. Two friends, great convo and breakfast…what could be better?
Breakfast was great, we spoke about my career, his schooling, my daughter Capri, our families, what we think is in our future and everything in between. Breakfast ended and I was on my way to meet a guy for a fun date down town. Dan was adamant about nothing coming of this date because apparently he knew me so well! (That’s the last date I went on because shortly after, Danner and Miss Tiff started dating, but we are not at the point in the story yet!)
 
October 2014
I told him tonight that I am off to Jamaica with my bestie and he said to have a great time! We texted each night while in Jamaica and I was able to fill him on the adventures we had for the day. By the end of the week my bestie said “Tiff, he totally likes you” and I denied it and said we are just good friends, “He’s just Danner”. So apparently I “Fell in love in Jamaica” (Not really) but while sitting in the airport waiting to leave I messaged Dan telling him that I met a boy!!! He played it off cool but deep down he was jealous (So he tells me later).
 
I am home now and missing the sun. Dan is messaging me about my day and asking how it is being home with Capri. I tell him I’m sad and missing Jamaica but love catching up with my daughter. Dan messaged back saying he missed me a lot while I was away and actually wanted to tell me something. At that moment my blood pressure sky rocketed….is he going to say what I think he is going to say? Yep…he totally did….he said he likes me and needs me to know before it was too late and I am snagged by another dude.
Wait …..WHAT! Dan likes me? Who would have thought!
After getting over the shock and of course digesting this new reality with my bestie I decided to meet Dan for dinner and a movie.
 
October 22nd, 2014
We had our first official date tonight, what a guy. He even opened my car door for me! Again, I see a difference in Dan, no pressure, just wants to spend time with me, is happy and people notice. It’s so refreshing to see his outlook on life and his love of life’s journey.
 
November 2014
We have been on a couple dates, they have all been really fun, he seems like a great guy. He really treats me with respect and always has my needs ahead of his own. My guards are coming down and I can see a future with him. Its hard for me to grasp how much he likes me. We shall see how this turns out!
 
My guards are fully down and Dan and I are officially dating. That progression seemed fast but I think that old saying goes “when you know you know”
Dan and I have great conversations and he loves to tell me about his time at the gym each day but he has never once mentioned setting up a meal plan for me, taking me to the gym, wanting to change me or my appearance. He loves me for me and I appreciate that very much. I have done this weight lose thing on my own for years, I don’t need a trainer, and besides they are so expensive.
 
November 22nd, 2014.
I finally let go of my pride and asked Dan for a meal plan. I have lost 35lbs on my own over the last couple of years but obviously this guy knows what he is doing to look as good as he does. So why not try it out.
It took a lot for me to admit I needed and wanted his help. I had to work through a lot of self-talk and emotions to say, “Ya I’ll take your help”. I’m hoping with everything in me that this works this time. I have struggled with weight all my life, maybe this is finally the key.
Well, here’s hoping!

That’s what I want to talk about in this blog, the importance of rest. One of the biggest mistakes I find myself and others in the past is not listening to our bodies and going too hard for too long. I understand and encourage when people get excited to reach their goals and change their lives for the better but we do need to remember that we are human and that we need rest just as much as action

For the Body- During our workouts we are damaging our bodies and breaking down the muscle fibers and when we eat and rest for the next 24-48hrs our bodies repair the damage and our muscles become stronger and harder. So In fact, it’s when we are resting that the positive effect of our workouts actually take effect. If you continue to work your muscles on an ongoing basis without proper rest, we risk damaging ourselves and minimizing the results of our training. Also remember when you work out, you are stressing your Immune system and thus are more susceptible to get sick.  For as long as I can remember, as a personal trainer and making fitness my number one priority, the only time I was ever sick was when I was training for a body building shows. I was so focused on results that I neglected taking the rest which my body needed, thus overworking my immune system and getting sick.
When your body is healing, your white blood cells can only do one task at a time. Example being, repairing your muscles or fight a virus. Therefor if you work out too hard for too long and don’t give yourself enough time to recuperate, your immune system defences will be down and you are more susceptible to catch whatever is going around. Always keep in mind that your fitness is a long distance run, not a sprint. The results will come in time. 

The mind- Start with the mind and the body will follow. Like with all things, your mental capacity and strength is extremely important in terms of fitness. Just like your body needs time to rest, you also need to rest your mind. Adequate sleep (Minimum of 8 hours) is extremely important as this is the time your body uses to heal itself. If you don’t give your mind the time it needs to rejuvenate you will lose focus, you will become stressed, your cortisol levels will rise which pushes your body to hold on to stored fat because of stressed adrenal glands. Stress has other major negative effects on your body. In extreme cases, one can become addicted to health and will start to self-hate and never be satisfied with any results. You will become your own worst critic and you will start to obsess over caloric intake and expenditure.
I really encourage you to take time focusing on other things outside of your fitness. Meditate, pray, spend time with friends and family, listen to music ect. All of these things will have a major positive effect on your mental psyche. By concentrating on these other areas during down time, you can then be 100% mentally once back at it. 

​The Spiritual- Last but not least is the most important, the spiritual. Our bodies are a gift from God and as good stewards we need to take care of them. Along with exercise and eating healthy, we also need to take time to rest and rejuvenate. From a biblical perspective, God intentionally punctuates life with different rhythms. He created the rhythms of night and day. He designed the body to function on a rhythm of waking and sleeping. He made different seasons of the rest. He established the rhythm of rest, renewal and worship through the Sabbath. He instituted the rhythm of feasts, festivals and ordinances for his people to gather, pause, celebrate and worship. Taking time to seek, rest and recover not only has health benefits, it also reminds us that God is God- and we are not him. We are also reminded that the world can and does continue without us. 

In conclusion, I would really encourage you all to take my words and “Take a rest”! Have a least one day a week with no gym. If you are an individual who trains 5 days a week or more I would suggest training opposing muscle groups to reduce the likelihood of over training a certain muscle group. Be sure to stretch, take a hot bath, and spend time with family! 

It's that time of year again where everyone starts thinking of changes they want to make in the new year. As you can see, I'm not a big fan of the “New Year resolutions” because I find it’s an excuse for people to be content with quitting or giving up. They start over and over again because the end goal is too big and it seems so far away. This “New Year resolution” cycle makes any goal much harder to achieve whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Instead I like to think of every year as a chance to continually improve your situation by adding good habits to your day and taking away negative ones. Remember to think small, just one step at a time. Think as if you had to climb a thousand stairs, that would be extremely overwhelming and you would already contemplate quitting or not even starting, before you even started. But if all you had to do was take three steps a day, before you know it that staircase would be done!!
Here are 10 simple steps you can use to continue your success on your fitness journey.
1. Have breakfast every morning to jump start your metabolism
2. Include protein with every meal to balance your glycemic index
3. Increase your work load (eg. Lift heavier weights or start incorporating resistance training to you fitness regime)
4. Have non-negotiables to help with temptation or lack of motivation (eg: no cookies EVER or work out a minimum of 2x per week no matter what!)
5. Ask someone to keep you accountable and help you stay on track 
6. Schedule your workouts in your week and plan other events around them. Also, plan out your meals to limit excuses and lack of time.
7. Record workouts and a food log to keep track of your progress and improvements
8. Make one small goal per month and stick to it for at least 3 months so that it become a habit
9. Cook most meals at home and limit buying outside food to 1x per week
10. Focus on internal results before external so that you will see results faster to help keep you motivated (increased energy, better sleeps, stronger during daily activities) 
FEEL IT BEFORE YOU SEE IT
I really hope these 10 areas resonate with you and you will make a conscious decision to change certain areas of your life and implement the necessary steps to do so. Stair at that staircase with pride knowing one day you will complete it, just three steps at a time.
Daniel

​Body Types and Hormones
(A missing key to your success)
Happy holidays everyone!!! My gift to you this month, is going to be some knowledge and keys to help you trim down and stay healthy. This is probably that last thing most of us are thinking about during this holiday season but I know it is VERY important. Most of my blogs have been about living a healthy lifestyle and get fit, but this is a little more specific. You all have been working hard in the gym and trying your best to eat right and some unfortunately have been struggling with little to no success. Sometimes it’s not what you’re doing that is the issue, but more the fact that your body is not working with you. Your hormones play a big part in your body transition and the best thing is to have information and use that information to the best of your ability. Knowledge alone isn’t power, applied knowledge is power!
There are 4 specific body types that I am going to talk about and you can also watch a great seminar on youtube by Dr. Eric Berg, that will give more details. I have a great thirst for knowledge and it has helped me in my personal life and also my professional life and I hope this will help you as well. The four body types are adrenal, thyroid, estrogen, and liver.
ADRENAL (STRESS) I personally think this shape is the most common and unfortunately most hazardous to your health because the fat sits on your vital organs right around your midsection. Your adrenal glands sit on the kidneys and deal with stress. Stress is important for your survival when facing danger because it triggers your fight-or-flight response by triggering the hormone cortisol. The problem with this is many overstress themselves, increasing the levels of cortisol which it turn builds up fat around your midsection along with other problems.
Signs and symptoms- These types tend to be edgy and irritable and oftentimes others get on their nerves. Poor sleep patterns, constant worry, excessive thinking, brain fog, poor memory, and weight gain are all common with these types.
What to eat

• 3-6oz of animal protein per meal (fish, lean meats, eggs, spirulina, and whey protein powder) Eat protein in the early part of the day.
• High fats (nuts, avocado, plain yogurt, whole milk yogurt)
• Avoid cruciferous veggies (broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts etc) because of bloating
• Eat romaine lettuce, spinach, carrots, celery etc (7 cups per day is recommended)

 
THYRIOD (METOBOLIC) Your thyroid resides in the front of your lower neck and is about 2.5 inches wide. It makes hormones that control the metabolism in all your cells, which is why thyroid types tend to get big all over. Many thyroid body types are triggered by the hormone estrogen. As estrogen becomes dominant, your thyroid slows down and over time, can become sluggish.
Signs and symptoms- Along with weight struggles, those with a thyroid body type also often suffer hair loss, saggy skin under the arms, ridged nails, and loss of the outer eyebrows. Thyroid types also tend to reach for simple carbs, such as bread, for quick energy to rev their sluggish metabolism.
What to eat

• Low protein (3 oz)
• Low fat
• Eat seaweed
• Low cruciferous veggies

 
ESTROGEN (OVARY) - This is due to overactive ovaries and usually happens for young women once they start to menstruate or women who have children. Like the thyroid shape, too much estrogen triggers the ovary body type. Many ovary body types turn into thyroid types after pregnancy due to the spike in estrogen, especially if the woman develops a thyroid problem during or shortly after having the baby.
Signs and symptoms- Ovary types can also suffer heavy periods and develop facial hair and acne, especially during that time of the month. Anything that is cyclic, such as headaches, PMS, bloating, and depression, can occur frequently with the ovary type, oftentimes during ovulation or about one week before a menstruation. They also tend to crave dairy because of the hormones.
What to eat

• Stay away from soy
• High protein- 6oz
• High fat
• Organic dairy (no hormones) aka no BST (on label)
• Eat cruciferous

 
 
LIVER (BLOATED) - Your liver is a 3-pound organ under your right rib cage that filters toxins and helps digest your food. Liver types typically have thin legs and a protruding belly and are more common in males. These types have a condition called ascites, which is essentially the liver leaking a plasma-like fluid into the sac that sits just above our intestines. Since the liver type has this belly pooch, people often equate them to having a fat stomach, but in reality, they actually have low body fat. Even if the person is 300 pounds, if most that weight in their tummy, a lot of it could be fluid.
Signs and symptoms- Liver types inevitably wake up with low blood sugar and are irritable because of it. They also have digestive problems such as gas, bloating and heartburn after they eat because of their sluggish digestive juices. This means food is not broken down thoroughly, and if bile isn’t released, the person will feel unsatisfied and crave quick carb energy.
What to eat

• low protein 3oz
• bile salts
• cruciferous veggies ( 7-10 cups per day)
• low fats
• little to no nuts or peanut butter

There is a large possibility that you can be a mix of more than one type. I would recommend seeing your doctor or taking some tests to see if you are suffering from any of these symptoms. My blogs are for information purpose to increase you knowledge and understanding on health related issues. I hope this has shed some light onto some new ways you can tackle your weight loss challenges.
Thank you all again for all your support and especially the love you have given to my wonderful wife Tiffany. She is a super woman and I tell her everyday but its better when she hears it from all of you! Please like us on facebook (ashmeadefitness) and follow us on instagram daniel_ashmeade. We have a holiday promotion 5 sessions for $200 with a savings of $100! This is great way to say “I care about you” as a gift to a family, a friend or loved one. Check pricing for more details.
God Bless

Hello everyone! I know it’s been a long time since I have blogged which is good news for two reasons; first Ashmeade Fitness has grown and I have been very busy with its new ventures and my wonderful clients and have been spending my downtime with my wonderful family. Secondly, my wife has taken over the blogging and I feel she has done a great job connecting with you all. She has been able to share and express her feelings and her journey which I know has helped give faith and hope to some of you.

I usually am the one who writes factual blogs but today I am going to be like Tiffany and talk about my experience as well as give some motivation. I find, when I am training at the gym, other people like to watch and be a spectators. I use the gym as my personal battle ground, my weapons are the weights and my adversary is myself. I go to the gym to do one thing… KILL MYSELF! If I don’t hit failure at every exercise, I have failed. If I haven’t maxed out every machine in the gym, I have failed. If I don’t increase the weight I have lifted after every set.,, I HAVE FAILED! See the trend?  I’m not trying to be conceded but I find that unfortunately most people don’t give 100% in the gym, in fact I see some people use the gym as social hour or time to catch up on their favourite TV show.

You need to do the same (or at least your own personal best). Your biggest fan, motivator, encourager and coach needs to be you! This is hard because we don’t like pain and we usually stop when it hurts. This is one of the main reasons why having a training partner or better yet a personal trainer helps so much. We, as trainers, push you past the pain and make sure we get those last few reps that actually get the muscle to grow and show you that you are stronger.

The problem is that with everyone’s lifestyle it’s sometimes hard to have someone with you every time you are at the gym. So it’s time to look in the mirror and push yourself to the max and past it. Over time you will learn to love the pain and love the results of your hard work. One of my clients mentioned that he can see why people get addicted to the gym and Tiff loves the fact that she can now train just as hard on her own while bragging to me about her amazing workouts and new personal bests.

So I tell you, when you are at the gym imagine everyone has their eyes on you, watching your every move. Pretend that you have a coach or training partner yelling at you for one more rep, as this is the only way to get the most out of every training session. Not everyone likes the gym and certainly not everyone loves pain, but everyone loves results and that’s what we all want. So if you want the results, then you must do the work.

​You know what “they” say…”You can’t get made at the results you didn’t achieve because of the work you didn’t do.”

God Bless Daniel

Hello everyone!! I’m sorry it’s been a long time since my last blog but things have taken off for Tiffany and I, where we felt we were running on empty and we needed a little down time. I must say that I am blessed to be where I am today and we cannot believe that we would have be this successful in such a short time. As we all know God is great and as long as we continue to serve and put Him first, He will continue to bless us. He has provided many clients and unbelievable opportunities to help people in our community, all of which I am so thankful for. I am training well over the amount of hours I anticipated having at this point in my career and I am now able to give back by starting a Bootcamp Sports Ministry on Tuesday night at our church. People from the community can meet new friends, get a great workout and more importantly be in the presence of the Lord.

The last 5-6 months things have been so crazy that Tiffy and I unfortunately have had less time together daily. We make it a priority to have a date night so we have our time to connect and keep our love strong. With that being said, we still needed a real vacation so we met our parents in Tampa Florida for one of the best times of our lives. In the past when I’ve been on vacation, I’ve been so busy going on excursions or dancing the night away that I have needed a vacation from my vacation…lol. This time I really relaxed and feel rejuvenated to tackle the rest of this year!
That’s what I want to talk about in this blog, the importance of rest. One of the biggest mistakes I find myself and others in the past is not listening to our bodies and going too hard for too long. I understand and encourage when people get excited to reach their goals and change their lives for the better but we do need to remember that we are human and that we need rest just as much as action.

For the Body- During our workouts we are damaging our bodies and breaking down the muscle fibers and when we eat and rest for the next 24-48hrs our bodies repair the damage and our muscles become stronger and harder. So In fact, it’s when we are resting that the positive effect of our workouts actually take effect. If you continue to work your muscles on an ongoing basis without proper rest, we risk damaging ourselves and minimizing the results of our training. Also remember when you work out, you are stressing your Immune system and thus are more susceptible to get sick.  For as long as I can remember, as a personal trainer and making fitness my number one priority, the only time I was ever sick was when I was training for a body building shows. I was so focused on results that I neglected taking the rest which my body needed, thus overworking my immune system and getting sick.

When your body is healing, your white blood cells can only do one task at a time. Example being, repairing your muscles or fight a virus. Therefor if you work out too hard for too long and don’t give yourself enough time to recuperate, your immune system defences will be down and you are more susceptible to catch whatever is going around. Always keep in mind that your fitness is a long distance run, not a sprint. The results will come in time.
 
The mind- Start with the mind and the body will follow. Like with all things, your mental capacity and strength is extremely important in terms of fitness. Just like your body needs time to rest, you also need to rest your mind. Adequate sleep (Minimum of 8 hours) is extremely important as this is the time your body uses to heal itself. If you don’t give your mind the time it needs to rejuvenate you will lose focus, you will become stressed, your cortisol levels will rise which pushes your body to hold on to stored fat because of stressed adrenal glands. Stress has other major negative effects on your body. In extreme cases, one can become addicted to health and will start to self-hate and never be satisfied with any results. You will become your own worst critic and you will start to obsess over caloric intake and expenditure.
​
I really encourage you to take time focusing on other things outside of your fitness. Meditate, pray, spend time with friends and family, listen to music ect. All of these things will have a major positive effect on your mental psyche. By concentrating on these other areas during down time, you can then be 100% mentally once back at it.
 
The Spiritual- Last but not least is the most important, the spiritual. Our bodies are a gift from God and as good stewards we need to take care of them. Along with exercise and eating healthy, we also need to take time to rest and rejuvenate. From a biblical perspective, God intentionally punctuates life with different rhythms. He created the rhythms of night and day. He designed the body to function on a rhythm of waking and sleeping. He made different seasons of the rest. He established the rhythm of rest, renewal and worship through the Sabbath. He instituted the rhythm of feasts, festivals and ordinances for his people to gather, pause, celebrate and worship. Taking time to seek, rest and recover not only has health benefits, it also reminds us that God is God- and we are not him. We are also reminded that the world can and does continue without us.
 
In conclusion, I would really encourage you all to take my words and “Take a rest”! Have a least one day a week with no gym. If you are an individual who trains 5 days a week or more I would suggest training opposing muscle groups to reduce the likelihood of overtraining a certain muscle group. Be sure to stretch, take a hot bath, and spend time with family!
 
God Bless, Daniel